US Soccer Federation Sues Women’s National Team Union

In a culmination of events starting last December, the United States Soccer Federation filed a lawsuit against the women’s national team union.

The Federation claims that union executive director Richard Nichols, who has held the position since 2014, told them in an email from December that the current deal will expire on Feb. 24, while the Federation maintains that there has been a collective bargaining agreement since 2013 and will not expire until Dec. 31.

The USSF is asking the Chicago Federal Court to determine whether or not there is a valid CBA in place.  If the CBA were to expire in February, the USWNT could possibly take labor action and strike during the 2016 summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.  Nichols told the New York Times that he never threatened to strike, “There were no threats about strikes or work stoppages.” He said the players had merely “reserved our legal rights.”

“They interpreted that as a threat,” he said of U.S. Soccer.

Both sides seem to show reluctance that the matter is being taken to court. “While unfortunate, we believe taking this action provides the parties with the most efficient path to a resolution, in an effort to not jeopardize the team’s participation in any competitions this year,” the USSF said in a statement.

Jeffrey Kessler, representing the players’ union said on Wednesday, “The unfortunate lawsuit by the USSF is a regrettable distraction that will not weaken the resolve of the players or deter them from the bargaining table, where this dispute belongs.”

Despite the lawsuit both sides are continuing to negotiate towards a CBA that they both mutually agree on and an agreement could be reached in the near future.

US goalkeeper Hope Solo posted a message on twitter: