U.S. Soccer sued the union representing the world champion United States women’s national team in federal court Wednesday, a sudden escalation of a simmering labor fight over the team’s collective bargaining agreement.
In the lawsuit, U.S. Soccer, the national governing body for the sport, is seeking to have a court rule that the terms of the agreement — which expired in 2012 but has continued to be the guiding document over the relationship between the federation and star players like Hope Solo and Alex Morgan — remain valid. U.S. Soccer seeks no penalties; instead, it asked for “declaratory relief” stating that the players’ union must abide by a slightly modified version of the agreement that is set to expire in December.