WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Major League Soccer Players Association (MLSPA) announced on Thursday that it has become an affiliate of the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO).
MLSPA members will join the more than 12.5 million workers that make up the unions of the AFL-CIO. The players associations of MLB, NFL, NWSL, WNBA and the USWNT are all AFL-CIO members.
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The affiliation was unanimously approved by the MLSPA executive board and then also approved at the AFL-CIO’s Winter Executive Council meeting in early February.
“From locker rooms and classrooms to coffee shops and warehouses, workers all over the United States are demonstrating the power of organizing on a daily basis,” MLSPA executive director Bob Foose said in a statement.
“Over the past twenty years, our players have fought to improve the working conditions and rights of athletes in Major League Soccer. We look forward to working with the AFL-CIO and standing beside its member unions as we fight for every worker, whether it be an athlete or a stadium employee, with one collective voice.”
The MLSPA is the 60th affiliate of the AFL-CIO, following in the footsteps of several other unions in the world of sports, including the NFL Players Association (NFLPA), the United Football Players Association-USW, the NWSL Players Association (NWSLPA), the USWNT Players Association (USWNTPA), the USL Players Association-CWA (USLPA-CWA), the Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA) and the Women’s National Basketball Players Association (WNBPA).
In conjunction with these unions, the MLSPA will participate in the AFL-CIO’s Sports Council, which was formed in 2022 so those organizations could share their experiences.
“When we speak with one voice, when we’re united in solidarity, our collective power is undeniable,” said AFL-CIO president Liz Shuler. “This affiliation is about building that power for workers and ensuring professional soccer players have the strength of the entire labor movement behind them every single day.
“We’re thrilled to welcome the MLS Players into the AFL-CIO. This historic moment builds additional power to our collective commitment to raising standards for all working people and the communities where we live, work and play.”
