USLPA clears path for strike as CBA talks stall

The USL Players Association (USLPA) has voted to authorize its bargaining committee to call a strike unless an agreement with the USL can be reached on a new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) for players in the USL-Championship, the union disclosed to ESPN.

The two sides have been in talks over a new CBA since August of 2024, with the previous CBA expiring last Dec. 31. The most recent bargaining session took place last Thursday, and was notable for the presence of a mediator from the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service, the USLPA said in a statement obtained by ESPN.

The USL made its latest proposal on Feb. 18, and according to USLPA was little changed from the previous proposal.

The talks are taking place amid a push by the USL to institute a separate Division 1 league that would sit on top of the USL Championship while also implementing a system of promotion-relegation beginning as soon as 2028.

The USL Championship season is scheduled to begin on March 6 with a match in Lexington, Ky., between Lexington SC and Louisville City FC. The remaining USL-Championship teams are scheduled to play later that weekend.

«With one week until kickoff of the 2026 season, United Soccer League Players Association players remain without a new collective bargaining agreement following 547 days of negotiations with the United Soccer League and its USL Championship clubs,» the USLPA said in a statement to ESPN.

«The Players Association has bargained in good faith throughout that time, including spending four hours this week in mediation with a federal mediator, with additional sessions scheduled.

«This week, around 90% of the player pool participated in a vote on the League’s latest proposal. Approximately 90% of the players rejected it and authorized the player-led bargaining committee to take all necessary steps, including calling for a strike if required, should negotiations fail to produce a satisfactory agreement.

«Players are preparing for the start of the Championship season while continuing to push for an agreement that reflects true professional standards. Players are unified in their demand for a fair deal that guarantees basic protections, safe working conditions, and standards that professional athletes deserve.»

According to a union source, a major sticking point in the negotiations is the league’s insistence on teams being allowed to exercise three unilateral buyouts of player contracts over two years. Under such a proposal, the USL would only be obligated to pay 75% of a player’s salary in the first year of a contract, and just 50% in subsequent years. Such payments would only apply to a player’s salary, and wouldn’t cover housing allowances or health insurance. As a point of comparison, teams in MLS are allowed two buyouts per season, but must pay the remainder of the player’s contract in full.

Sources tell ESPN that the union and the league have agreed on implementing a standard contract length of 12 months instead of 10 months as stipulated by the previous CBA. This had been a sore spot for the USLPA given that being a professional soccer player is essentially a year-round job.

In terms of compensation, the previous CBA operated under a two-tier structure for players on the low end of the pay scale. Teams could sign up to six players to a «flex minimum» contract paying $26,000 over the course of a season, a number that can include salary, bonuses, health insurance and a housing allowance. Other players can be signed to what is called a «contract minimum» of $31,000 over the course of the season.

At one point in the negotiations, the league offered over a 20% increase from the contract minimum, which would amount to around $38,000 a year. The USLPA is asking for a 40% increase to 43,400 per season. Those numbers don’t include health insurance and bonuses, which would be tacked on as additional benefits instead. Housing would still be included in the contracted amount. The number of flex contracts allowed per team is still being negotiated.

Another contentious issue is health insurance for players. The previous CBA didn’t mandate that clubs provide health insurance, though around 80% of the teams opted to do so. Sources tell ESPN that the league and union have agreed that some form of insurance should be offered by every team, but the USLPA wants a standardized health insurance policy across the USL Championship instead of one at the choosing of individual clubs, which is the approach preferred by the league.

Another obstacle surrounds the licensing of player image and likeness rights. In the current CBA, the USLPA receives $25,000 from the league for licensing. This time around, the union is asking for an increase to around $600,000, which is on par with what players in the Professional Women’s Hockey League receive. The league wants to limit that amount to around $125,000.