As members of the Women’s National Basketball Players Association (WNBPA) escalate their fight for a fair contract, AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler issued the following statement:
The nearly 15 million workers of the AFL-CIO—including 7 million working women across the country—stand in solidarity with our WNBPA family in demanding WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert and NBA Commissioner Adam Silver pay WNBA players what they’re owed and negotiate in good faith for a collective bargaining agreement.
The WNBA has exploded in growth in recent years, yet women basketball players continue to be underpaid, undervalued and underestimated. Record-breaking game attendance and sold-out arenas, skyrocketing TV ratings, and a $2.2 billion TV deal aren’t because of management. It’s the players’ labor that makes the game. But team owners continue to ignore player demands, refusing to give these athletes—who are mostly Black women—their fair share.
After more than a year of negotiations, the league and the teams have put forward proposal after proposal that significantly undervalues players, looks to increase their workload by increasing the number of games and length of a season, and locks the players out of any meaningful career and salary growth. Today, WNBPA members are exercising their power and continuing the fight for the contract they deserve.
Women workers don’t back down. Everything we’ve ever won—every contract, organizing fight and strike line—was won because we stuck together. America’s unions will be in this fight with our WNBPA sisters for as long as it takes to win.
Contact: Mia Jacobs, 202-637-5018