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The Guardian - US
The Guardian - US
Sport
Jeff Rueter

UNBELIEVABLE: Usl emails players about union resignation procedures as strike looms - Caught on Camera

USL soccer balls sit on the field before a first round match of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup between Virginia Dream FC and Richmond Kickers at City Stadium on March 19, 2025 in Richmond, Virginia.
The USL and players from the Championship have been locked in CBA negotiations for over a year. Photograph: Brad Smith/ISI Photos/USSF

On Wednesday night, the United Soccer League (USL) emailed every player contracted in the second-division Championship with information about the procedures for crossing a potential picket line and resigning their membership in the USL Players’ Association, multiple sources have confirmed to the Guardian.

The USL, which runs the second-division Championship and the third-division League One as its professional US men’s leagues, has been locked in labor talks with Championship players for more than a year, with tensions recently spilling into the public. The previous agreement between the league and the USL Players Association (USLPA) expired on 31 December 2025.

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