Shortly after the USFL finished their inaugural season we started hearing that the players may be working towards unionizing. Since then we’ve heard a lot about the United Steelworkers jumping in the mix to help get a deal past the finish line.
Earlier today the USFL put out an official release announcing that the league had reached an agreement with the United Steelworkers, bringing this closer to reality.
The USFL and The United Steelworkers reach agreement pic.twitter.com/tMXw37lpG6
— USFL (@USFL) December 15, 2022
With the news out in the open, we did some digging on our end and now have some details to share on the tentative collective bargaining agreement (CBA).
1. The CBA still needs to be ratified by the USFL players, which is expected to take place after the new year, but prior to January 6th.
— USFL Newsroom (@USFLNewsroom) December 16, 2022
The CBA still needs to be ratified by the USFL players before it goes into effect. At the time of publication it’s expected to take place early 2023, before January 6th.
In regards to player compensation, we’re seeing a nice boost. Active players will go from $4,500 per week to $5,350, which is nearly a 19% increase. Inactive players will go up to $2,500 per week, up from %1,500/week (66.6% increase).
The league is still planning to house all players in their respective hubs for training camp. After which all players will receive $400/week in housing stipend.
Looking towards the USFL Championship, players on the winning side will pull in an extra $5,000.
Now, here’s where things get interesting. We’re seeing a slight adjustment to roster sizes as the deal progresses.
For the first year of the CBA (USFL Season 2), the roster size stays at 50 (40 active/10 inactive). But, for the second year of the CBA (USFL Season 3) the makeup changes to 42 active and 8 inactive.
Training camp is set to begin in mid-March, with Season 2 officially kicking off on April 15th, 2023.
In addition to the CBA, the league is also throwing in $26,000 worth of benefits outside of this deal. This includes retirements, per diem, traning camp housing and the education program which we saw them roll out last year. As a quick refresher, education Strayer/Capella provides players and staff tuition-free coursework online through Capella University or online and in-person at Strayer University, giving them the flexibility to pursue associate, bachelor’s or master’s degrees in business, healthcare, IT and education, among others.
This is definitely big and promising news for all USFL fans and players.
Although the deal is not completely final, we get a sense that both parties are happy about the tentative agreement.
What are your thoughts on the USFL CBA? Let us know your thoughts down in the comments below or join the conversation on Discord.
