Lindsay Gibbs at CBS Sports reports that on Friday night (January 9th), 30 minutes before the deadline for a new contract agreement between the WNBA and its Players Union was set to pass, the WNBA Players Association released a statement blasting the league for its negotiating tactics and accusing it of trying to run out the clock: “At midnight, the 2020 WNBA-WNBPA Collective Bargaining Agreement will expire. Despite demonstrating our willingness to compromise in order to get a deal done, the WNBA and its Teams have failed to meet us at the table with the same spirit and seriousness. Instead, they have remained committed to undervaluing player contributions, dismissing player concerns and running out the clock.” The WNBPA still has not received a counter-offer to a proposal it sent the WNBA more than two weeks ago, sources familiar with the situation confirmed to CBS Sports. The 2020 WNBA agreement was originally set to expire on October 31st (2025), but the two sides extended the deadline twice – first to November 30th and later to January 9th. This time, the deadline was not extended. Without an official extension, the League and Players will enter into a “status quo” period, meaning that while WNBA and its Players will continue to operate under the rules of the 2020 CBA, either side could announce a work stoppage at any time. Still, the WNBPA is trying to turn up the pressure on the League, both privately and publicly. On Friday, Scabby the Rat – the large, inflatable rodent used by Unions to draw attention to labor fights, was placed outside the NBA store in New York City. “Today’s display of an inflatable rat, a universal symbol of labor protest, outside of the NBA Store, calls attention to how the League and its Teams have handled these negotiations. By delaying and clinging to the status quo, they are jeopardizing the livelihoods of Players and the trust and investment of fans, all in the name of preserving regressive provisions that no longer belong in Women’s Basketball,” the statement read.
To Read This Labor Sports Report, Go To: WNBA players union blasts league for ‘running out the clock’ as CBA expires – CBS Sports
Photo Courtesy Of The National AFL-CIO’s Facebook Page.