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Burk gives support to WNBA players
Jan 30, 1:41 PM (ET)

NEW YORK (AP) - Martha Burk and her National Council of Women's Organizations are supporting WNBA players in their labor negotiations with the league.
Burk, who is leading the fight against the Augusta National Golf Club's all-male membership, said the WNBA players asked for her help.

"By giving our support, we can raise the public consciousness about how the players are so far down in their pay and in their endorsement opportunities," she said in a telephone interview Thursday.

The league's four-year collective bargaining agreement expired Sept. 15. The union says it's still waiting for a response to a proposal it made in November.

"We are working very, very hard to get a collective bargaining agreement," WNBA Senior VP Tim Andree said Thursday. "We're not going to negotiate in the media."

The union wants better pay for its players, who averaged $46,000 last season. The players also want some kind of free agency and more freedom to market themselves.

"There's no moral question here," Andree said. "It's an economic question."

The league changed its ownership structure after many teams struggled with low attendance and revenues. The Miami franchise folded, and Portland could be next. The Utah franchise moved to San Antonio, and Seattle is considering a move in 2003. The Orlando team was bought by the Mohegan Indian Tribe and will play at the tribe's casino in Uncasville, Conn.

mb · Posted: Mon Feb 24, 2003 4:27 pm Post subject:

WNBA, players' union continue negotiations:

http://www.sacbee.com/content/sports/story/6158013p-7113271c.html

mb · Posted: Tue Mar 04, 2003 3:37 pm Post subject:

WNBAPA and league working on deal:

http://www.cleveland.com/sports/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/sports/1046774170296960.xml