Who Gives a Hoot is proud to support Union Omaha, USL League 1, US Soccer, and perhaps most importantly, the players and staff that make all this possible. Recent events surrounding players, ownership and league interaction in the USL Championship has been making waves across the professional soccer landscape in the US. With recent requests by the USL to players in the Championship for a reduction in salary, we wanted to get some context on this for the fans of Union Omaha. As in any evolving field, labor becomes a contentious issue, especially in a field where dollars are driven by fans. Players associations have done great things at the MLS level in creating a sustainable model for players to be able to subsist on their contracts. USL League 1, the league in which Union Omaha plays, has at the time of writing not approached players regarding cuts to salaries.
To get some answers relevant to Union Omaha specifically, we reached out to Union Omaha midfielder Tyler David with a few questions to provide some local background and life to an event happening across the country.
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For fans who are unaware, what is the USLPA?
The USLPA is an organization that has been formed over the past couple of years, made up of current and former USL players, that represents the players of the USL.
Why do we need the USLPA?
The USLPA’s main goal is to establish a Collective Bargaining Agreement with the USL and it’s players. This is necessary to ensure the well-being of players. The agreement would set a standard by which clubs would have to abide by on behalf of there players. Ranging from salaries, all the way to something as simple as to per diem on road trips and anything in between. They also are very instrumental in helping players that may have disputes with their perspective clubs.
Does the USLPA represent all players under contract in USL1 & USL-C?
The USLPA does represent both USL1 and USL-C. However, the association represents the two as separate entities. So, any negotiations or agreements made are completely separate from each other. Should there be a CBA established, each league will have its own CBA to abide by.
Do your experiences at Union Omaha reflect a standard you would like to see across the league?
Union Omaha is my first experience with a team in League 1. So far, I think the organization has been first class, from the ownership through the front office and into the coaching staff. It has been a pleasure to work here in the short time I have been here. Do I think improvements could be made? Of course, every team through the MLS has plenty of things to improve upon; however, from what I’ve seen here in comparison to other clubs I know about and played for, Union Omaha is setting a very high standard for other teams to look to.
You have played in the USL for some years, has the USLPA helped you?
The USLPA did not exist for my first couple years in the USL, so any issues a player had with a team they had to work out with their agent and that team. Over the past couple years the PA has made a huge impact around the league, some instances were made public while others weren’t. The PA has been a great resource to ask questions of when contract disputes came up or when disagreements with an organization arose. I don’t feel comfortable at this time disclosing all the details of things the PA has helped me with, but I can confirm they have helped with contract interpretations and several other disputes that would have otherwise been much more difficult to deal with had there not been a mediator that could communicate with the league about what was going on.
How can fans best support the players?
Fans can best support players with literally support. It’s not the fans job to provide us with anything except for support and making the environment a great place to be on game day. Another avenue of support is social media. As I’m sure you’ve seen trending lately #STANDWITHTHEPLAYERS. The more support in that campaign or any PA campaign the better the players stance will be. So whether that’s retweeting, commenting, sharing, etc. that support means way more than fans can imagine.
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In our opinion, the USL is approaching a watershed much as the MLS was prior to recognizing the MLSPA and agreeing to their first CBA. With USL currently operating second and third tier professional men’s soccer leagues in the United States, it is imperative that the situation for players is tenable to bring and keep the kind of talent that makes it an exciting organization to watch. As fans, we support our clubs, we are proud that the team represents our city, we will show up on game day to support them, remember these players are our club. Without the players a club isn’t playing, without a club the players aren’t playing, without the fans neither players or club would have a reason to be here. Help where you can, stay healthy, stay safe, stay connected, #StandWithThePlayers and #VivaBúhos!
Who Gives A Hoot? 