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.

Late last week, the USLPA membership voted to authorize a call to strike if a new agreement couldn’t be reached before the 2026 season, scheduled to kick off on 6 March. Recent talks have seen the sides include a mediator from the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service, with another round of negotiations held on Wednesday.

The league also posted a public update to its website on Wednesday, initially publishing at 11am ET with a subtitle of “Setting the Record Straight” and posting an update after “several hours of bargaining today (March 4)” at 8pm ET. The email to players landed in their inboxes simultaneously with the latter update.

The email sent to players included a pdf file on USL Championship-branded letterhead, addressed “to: all USL Championship Players” and “From: USL Championship Clubs & USL HQ”. In it, the league office said it is “disappointed to learn that the USLPA nonetheless decided to exercise your right to authorize a strike” following a specific offer tendered on 24 February 2026. “While that is disappointing, we want to provide you with the following information regarding your rights and obligations during the strike.”

A USL spokesperson declined to comment when reached by the Guardian. The USL Players Association released a statement in response, deeming “the timing and tone” of the USL’s email to be “classic union-busting” and “attempts to inject fear and confusion into the bargaining process”.

“The Players Association has been transparent with membership every step of the way, and players are fully aware of their rights and the realities of these negotiations,” the statement reads in part. “The bigger question is why a professional soccer league is warning players about the consequences of a strike instead of addressing why so many players felt compelled to authorize their bargaining committee to call one if necessary … If anything, this kind of pressure campaign only reinforces why players voted to provide strike authorization in the first place.”

In Wednesday night’s email to players, the USL clarified that league operations “can continue under the existing terms – commonly referred to as the dynamic status quo – while negotiations proceed. That said, we believe finalizing a new agreement is in everyone’s best interests.”

The email continues by laying out acknowledgement of several items of a potential second CBA, including “mandating 12-month contracts”, “increased minimum compensation by over 20% from the last CBA”, “health insurance offered to all players” and minimum standards for club housing, team meals, training facilities and travel.

After summarizing recent talks further, the league’s email continued:

“We are aware that players have now voted to authorize a strike. We respect your right to make that decision. At the same time, we believe a work stoppage is a serious step that carries significant consequences for players, clubs, and fans across the League. In response to concerns that have surfaced regarding your legal rights and obligations during a potential strike, please see the enclosed FAQs document.”

An active Championship player, who confirmed the accuracy of the email obtained by the Guardian and who spoke under the condition of anonymity to protect himself from possible retaliation, said that the email caught players by surprise. As locker rooms messaged about it, several players said the email ended up in their ‘spam’ or ‘junk’ folders, as they had never received direct correspondence from this league email address before Wednesday.

“I just think it’s a bunch of bullshit,” the player said. “You know, we’re getting this close to the first game, and now they want to kind of come on the front foot, kind of try to divide the group. Especially those of us who have been [in the league] for a while, we remember the $0 contracts. For them to send something out like that to try to scare us, with what they’ve been paying us for such a long time, I think it’s a bunch of bullshit. At this point, the league has to get serious.”

The FAQ portion of the document is formatted in a two-column chart with 16 questions and answers about a potential work stoppage. The first few specify that “yes,” the USL Championship plans to continue operating” and “no,” players will not continue to earn the salary owed in their Standard Player agreement” before outlining guidance on how to cross a picket line, and how players can resign union membership.

The USLPA laid out a collection of issues with the USL in an open letter dated 30 December, including that “approximately 85%” of players did not have 12-month contracts, a lack of health insurance on offer for over a quarter of USL Championship players, a gross salary of less than $35,000 per year for about a quarter of players, and some who qualify for food assistance programs.”

The letter continues: “It’s not fair to promote a bold vision for the future of American soccer while, behind the scenes, denying players basic professional standards. What is said publicly should match what players experience in negotiations.”