Latest news with #collectiveBargaining
Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
WNBA Players Say ‘Pay Us' as Commish Offers Sunny CBA Outlook
INDIANAPOLIS — WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert remains optimistic that a new labor deal will be struck, and in a press conference ahead of Saturday night's all-star game, she sounded confident that the league will avoid a work stoppage with three months until the deadline for a new collective bargaining agreement. A few minutes after the press conference, the WNBA All-Stars had a message of their own on T-shirts as they warmed up for the mid-season contest. 'Pay Us What You Owe Us,' the shirts read. Before the game was into the fourth quarter, versions of the shirts, officially licensed by the WNBPA, were for sale online. More from Unrivaled Gives Top College Stars NIL Deals on WNBA's Big Weekend WNBA Players Walk Away 'Frustrated' After CBA Talks Stall WNBA Players Getting Share of Expansion Fees Would Be Unique Engelbert downplayed the tension between the league and the Women's National Basketball Players Association (WNBPA) during the press conference on Saturday night. The league's top executive says labor talks have been 'constructive' and suggested that there are options to extend the deadline beyond the Oct. 31 expiry date. 'We want the same things that the players want,' Engelbert said. 'We want to significantly increase their salary and benefits while balancing with our owners their ability to have a path to profitability as well as continued investment.' While Engelbert was painting a rosier picture of the state of labor talks, players led by WNBPA president and Seattle Storm star Nneka Ogwumike wore their stark message on their warm-up shirts. It was the latest illustration of the distance between management and the union on how to distribute a sudden influx of league-wide revenue, as the game enjoys surging popularity and commercial opportunities, even as most teams are still losing money. 'You see tens of millions of dollars are being invested in practice facilities and other player experiences by teams,' Engelbert said. 'We want to strike the right balance between the two, and that will continue, because that's helped with our hyper-growth.' At the center of the labor fight is the union's demand for a revamped revenue sharing system, with players seeing a greater percentage of league revenue. Engelbert said the next model will be 'much more lucrative,' since the league is in a 'better place' than when the last accord was struck in 2020. But players have stated the recent proposals from league were far from the 'equitable' system that they're seeking. Engelbert's comments followed Thursday's CBA meeting in Indy, which saw more than 40 players attend including Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark. While the session drew a historic turnout of both committee and non-committee members, the crowded room of players, officials and executives likely hindered progress in the negotiations. 'We had candid dialogue,' Engelbert said. 'This is part of the process. … I want to say that I really respect the players for listening to our owners, and we … want to make sure that we're setting up this league for decades.' Clark, who participated in Thursday's meeting along with several other next-generation WNBA stars, continued to show solidarity with the union on Saturday night. 'We should be paid more,' said Clark, who was sidelined from weekend festivities with a right groin injury. 'And hopefully that will be the case moving forward as the league continues to grow. That's probably the most important thing.' WNBPA executive director Terri Carmichael Jackson said she was 'very pleased' with how players presented their case during the Thursday meeting. The session, which served more as a statement to show the union's collective commitment than a typical bargaining meeting, was described by Jackson as 'the biggest of their careers,' although it turned out to be 'more of the same' as talks appear to be stalled. The WNBPA decided to opt out of its current CBA last October. The league is experiencing unprecedented growth across nearly every business metric, including ticket sales and viewership. Buoyed by $2.2 billion from new media rights deals set to kick in next year, the 13-team league plans to expand to 18 franchises by 2030. The state of negotiations was one of the main topics of conversation during player media availability on Friday. Several players who were in the meeting, including WNBPA vice president and Minnesota Lynx star Napheesa Collier, chimed in on the sense of urgency the union is feeling after the latest proposals sent from the league left players unimpressed. 'We're standing firm on certain areas that we feel really strongly that we need to improve on,' Collier said on Saturday night. 'And I think we got that message across.' Best of Tennis Prize Money Tracker: Which Player Has Earned the Most in 2025? Browns Officially Get Public Money for New Stadium in Ohio Budget WNBA Franchise Valuations Ranking List: From Golden State to Atlanta
CBC
03-07-2025
- Business
- CBC
Uber drivers in Victoria, B.C., vote to unionize
Social Sharing More than 500 Uber drivers in Victoria, B.C., have received union certification from the province's labour relations board. The drivers will now look to bargain for collective rights with Uber, the ride-hailing giant that recently expanded across the province. In a statement, United Food and Commercial Workers Union (UFCW) Canada, whose Local 1518 will represent the drivers, says it is the first time gig workers in Canada have had a union certified. A union spokesperson said the Uber drivers will be the first in Canada to have a formal say in their workplace, and they will soon bring a number of concerns to a negotiating table. "By and large, they include things like health and safety compensation, exploring whether or not there's a possibility of benefits, and things that would ... form a regular part of a collective bargaining agreement," said Pablo Godoy, UFCW Canada's director for emerging sectors. Godoy said the process was almost a year in the making, and it took a lot of work among drivers to talk to each other and sign union cards. The spokesperson noted that, given Uber's model of having drivers sign themselves up for gig work, there were some unique wrinkles to having ride-hailing drivers become part of a union. In B.C., if more than 55 per cent of a workplace votes to sign union cards, they automatically become certified with the B.C. Labour Relations Board under a single-step certification process. Godoy said that over 500 drivers signed union cards, and the union estimated there were around 600 or 700 drivers in Victoria at the time. Ultimately, the labour board was satisfied the union met the 55 per cent threshold. "The interesting and unique part of this industry is that, given the barrier to entry being so low, we know that at any given moment there can be an influx of drivers onto the platform," Godoy said. "And so we're looking forward to, in bargaining, understanding exactly the number of new members that UFCW Canada is welcoming into their family." WATCH | Uber expands across B.C.: Uber is going province-wide in B.C. 1 month ago Duration 2:05 After coming to Vancouver in 2020, Uber is finally going province-wide on Wednesday, moving into smaller regional communities like Nanaimo. While some are eager to see a new way of getting around, others, as Claire Palmer reports, are worried about the impact it may have on existing cab companies and rideshare services. The union representative said that drivers want to see better provisions around health and safety, as well as more transparency around payments, app rating systems and account deactivations. Godoy said the union hoped to begin bargaining with Uber in the next month or two and shortly thereafter have the union's first collective agreement. Beefed up gig worker regulations Last August, the province passed expanded gig worker regulations, which included a minimum wage of $20.88 an hour, workers' compensation coverage, and measures for pay transparency — though the wage only applied to time spent on jobs, not time spent waiting for jobs. At the time, Uber expressed concerns about the prospect of giving workers a minimum wage, but provincial officials did not back down from the regulation. The measures came after a number of high-profile cases involving threats to drivers and reports of them not being able to make ends meet. WATCH | High-profile case of Uber driver being attacked: Uber driver attacked by passenger in Abbotsford, B.C. 2 years ago Duration 0:59 Uber driver Aman Sood captured the moment his passenger attacked him, with a dashboard camera mounted in his car. The rules meant gig workers would be classified as employees, opening the door for further worker protections. In a Wednesday statement, Uber said there will be no change to the experience of drivers and passengers in Victoria.
National Post
26-06-2025
- Sport
- National Post
NHL, players' union have discussed 84-game season in CBA talks: AP source
Moving to an 84-game regular season from 82 is one of the topics that has been discussed in collective bargaining talks between the NHL and the NHL Players' Association, according to a person familiar with negotiations. Article content The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Wednesday because the subjects involved in CBA discussions are not being revealed publicly by either side. Article content Article content Article content The potential change that could go into effect as soon as 2026-27 would reduce the preseason to four games per team. It is among the several tweaks the league and union are talking about, a list that is believed to also include contract terms and long-term injury rules. Article content Going to 84 games could also even out scheduling with the league at 32 teams playing each division opponent four times, three against the other division in the same conference and two against those in the other conference. It could alternatively lead to more rivalry games. Article content Commissioner Gary Bettman told reporters in Los Angeles that the board of governors received a substantial update on the state of negotiations. Bettman said any agreement would be subject to ratification by the board. Article content Bettman and NHLPA executive director Marty Walsh voiced optimism about the situation during the Stanley Cup final. Bettman said they were 'in really good shape, having really good discussions.' Walsh said: 'It's moving forward and I feel good with where we are and we'll see what happens.' Article content The current CBA does not expire until September 2026, so there is no tight deadline to work with along with a lack of major issues to confront where the sides are far apart. Article content The NHL had an 84-game regular season from 1992-94, with the league and union agreeing to add two neutral-site games for each team. Article content
Washington Post
23-06-2025
- Business
- Washington Post
Storm's Nneka Ogwumike, WNBA players union president, speaks out on CBA negotiations
SEATTLE — As president of the WNBA's players union, Seattle Storm forward Nneka Ogwumike has been asked time and again about the league's collective bargaining agreement discussions. The WNBA is bringing in more money than ever from sponsors and ticket sales, and will bring in much more from its 11-year media rights deal , worth around $200 million per year starting in 2026 — yet player salaries haven't increased drastically in recent years. In light of other players around the WNBA speaking out, Ogwumike addressed the matter of player salaries following the Storm's 89-79 win over the New York Liberty on Sunday .
Yahoo
23-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Storm's Nneka Ogwumike, WNBA players union president, speaks out on CBA negotiations
Seattle Storm forward Nneka Ogwumike (3) talks with guard Skylar Diggins (4) as they lead the New York Liberty during the final seconds of the second half of a WNBA basketball game Sunday, June 22, 2025, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson) Seattle Storm forward Nneka Ogwumike (3) talks with guard Skylar Diggins (4) as they lead the New York Liberty during the final seconds of the second half of a WNBA basketball game Sunday, June 22, 2025, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson) SEATTLE (AP) — As president of the WNBA's players union, Seattle Storm forward Nneka Ogwumike has been asked time and again about the league's collective bargaining agreement discussions. The WNBA is bringing in more money than ever from sponsors and ticket sales, and will bring in much more from its 11-year media rights deal, worth around $200 million per year starting in 2026 — yet player salaries haven't increased drastically in recent years. In light of other players around the WNBA speaking out, Ogwumike addressed the matter of player salaries following the Storm's 89-79 win over the New York Liberty on Sunday. Advertisement 'We have women out here who know the business. And we understand where our league has been and where it's going,' Ogwumike said. 'And, we're prepared. We're prepared. And we want to be able to come out here and represent ourselves and our value the same way we do on the court, in our contracts, in our facilities, in the standards of the resources that are available to us.' Ogwumike said the players union received a response from the league, which she considered a 'good' development. In October, WNBA players opted out of their collective bargaining agreement. The current CBA still covers the 2025 season. The next step from the union's standpoint is for contracts to be more representative of the league's growth. The current collective bargaining agreement was signed before the 2020 season. 'Everybody wants to go to the same place. Everyone just has a different idea of how we get there,' Ogwumike said. 'But it definitely starts with valuing the players in a way that makes sense for what we're doing out here, and also makes sense for the people that follow us and the fans that are supporting us. We've seen a lot of growth recently, so we have to see that being reflected in how we're compensated to continue to give you guys games like this every night.' Advertisement Ogwumike added that she is looking forward to whatever meeting between the WNBPA and the league is to come over the next 25 days. In the past, other players have said they are willing to sit out games if negotiations don't lead to a pay structure they feel is fair. Ogwumike is grateful for the support the players union has already received ahead of and amid these negotiations. 'I'm appreciative to our player body, our player reps and the women that are speaking out about this,' Ogwumike said, 'and our board of advisors and PA staff and what they're doing for us to be able to get to a successful, collaborative negotiation with the league.' ___ AP WNBA:
