A rare inside look at how U.S. soccer players organized for better pay

A rare inside look at how U.S. soccer players organized for better pay

It's hard to envision a time before soccer was big business in the United States. But until a few decades ago, U.S. national team players weren't even paid and had little say over their travel or working conditions.  That's where Mark Levinstein comes in. Mark is a legendary sports lawyer who has represented USMNT players as head of the U.S. National Soccer Team Players Association since it formed in the mid-1990s. Today, players receive 80% of the World Cup prize money. Mark has been at the table every step of the way.  In this episode, Mark joins Harry for a rare public conversation to share the inside story of this union, from its fledgling days in the '90s to the bright lights of the World Cup today. He also gives a behind-the-scenes peek at how the USMNT players helped the women's team secure equal pay and offers some thoughts on a range of other issues, including the possibility of collective bargaining at the college level and his charity Athletes for Hope. Resources  * USSoccerPlayers.com [http://ussoccerplayers.com]  * AthletesForHope.org [http://athletesforhope.org/] * HBO’s US Against the World  [https://www.hbomax.com/shows/us-against-the-world-four-years-with-the-mens-national-soccer-team/b38fe8cf-5908-43b1-9655-71f67ddf3eac] Chapters 00:00 - Introduction 01:30 - World Cup Revenue Sharing  08:12 - Origins of USNSTPA  16:45 - First Collective Bargaining Agreement 21:21 - Equal Pay Negotiations  30:02 - How the Men's Team Backed the Women's Equal Pay Fight 36:48 - Revenue Sharing Breakthrough 46:42 - Future of Equal Pay  49:41 - The Principles That Built a Union 56:25 - How the USNSTPA Actually Works 01:00:00 - Evolution of the Sports Industry 01:11:52 - College Sports at a Crossroads 01:22:02 - Athletes for Hope  01:30:47 - Closing Remarks

How UFL Players Won Better Pay, Health Care, and a Voice at Work

In this episode, Harry sits down with UFL player-leaders Kenneth Farrow II, Jack Kramer, and Kedrick Whitehead Jr. to discuss how players came together to build the United Football Players Association and negotiate a historic collective bargaining agreement. Before organizing, players faced inadequate health coverage and little say in the conditions affecting their careers. Instead of accepting the status quo, they built a union. What started as isolated conversations in the locker room grew into a league-wide effort — and the first CBA in UFL history. How did they do it?  In this episode, the organizers share a behind-the-scenes look at the campaign and the wins that followed. Chapters  00:00 Introduction  01:04 Building the United Football Players Association 07:18 Life Before the CBA 10:57 Bringing Players Together  13:38 Negotiating the First CBA in UFL History 17:37 The Player-Centered Bargaining Philosophy 20:14 Building Unity During Negotiations 22:35 The Health Care Holdout That Extended Negotiations 24:08 What's Next for the UFPA 37:43 Advice for Working People  42:37 Closing Remarks

Is Congress About to Lock In the NCAA’s Power?

In this episode of Sports Solidarity, host Harry Marino is joined by Brandon Copeland, co-founder and CEO of Athletes.org and former NFL linebacker, and Casey Floyd, co-founder of DYK Media, for a timely conversation on Washington’s continued push to reshape college athletics. The NCAA-backed SCORE Act was pulled from this week’s House agenda, but the broader effort toward federal intervention in college sports remains active. Casey and Brandon break down what’s still in motion in Congress and what it could mean for athlete rights, compensation, and the ability to organize and challenge NCAA rules. The discussion focuses on how proposed federal frameworks could shift power further toward institutions while limiting athlete leverage, legal recourse, and representation in policymaking. They also dig into ongoing debates around antitrust protections, transfer restrictions, health and safety, and labor rights. Casey and Brandon highlight the continued absence of athlete voices in key policy conversations and warn that the possibility of federal involvement raises major questions about the future structure of college sports. Timestamps: 00:00 – Introduction 01:29 – Big 12 commissioner’s position on SCORE Act 04:02 – Guest introductions 04:35 – SCORE Act deep dive with Casey Floyd 08:38 – How likely is the SCORE Act to pass? 13:18 – Health and safety concerns 16:54 – NFL vs. NCAA safety protocols 18:03 – Professional sports comparison 20:09 – NCAA’s strategic approach 23:56 – House settlement 29:22 – Collective bargaining benefits 30:39 – Athletes.org 36:44 – Historical context and current reality 39:42 – Conclusion Resources mentioned in this episode:  Athletes.org  [https://www.athletes.org/] Read AO's SCORE Act Open Letter [https://www.athletes.org/news/the-score-act-only-hurts-athletes-and-cannot-pass-an-open-letter-to-congress-from-the-members-of-athletes-org/] DYK Media [https://www.dykmedia.io/]  Fort Lewis’ first student-athlete, Ray Dennison, killed playing football, echoes through NCAA history  [https://www.durangoherald.com/articles/fort-lewis-first-student-athlete/]

5,500 Players, One Union: Inside the Fight to Unionize Minor League Baseball

The first episode of Sports Solidarity with Harry Marino goes inside the historic effort to unionize Minor League Baseball. Harry Marino is joined by Joe Hudson, Jose Brizuela, and Brandon Withers, three player leaders who helped drive the campaign to organize thousands of minor leaguers. They share what life was like before the union, how organizing took shape across clubhouses, and how players turned difficult conditions into a successful nationwide movement. This is the story of how it happened, what it took to win, and what changed afterward. Resources mentioned in this episode: sportssolidarity.org [https://www.sportssolidarity.org/] Listen, rate, and subscribe! Stories of players fighting for fair pay and rights in sports. Timestamps: * [00:03:42] - The Shocking Reality of Minor League Life * [00:04:27] - The Fyre Festival Sandwich Moment * [00:17:26] - The Housing Victory That Changed Everything * [00:22:34] - The Chaotic Union Card Drive * [00:25:41] - Overcoming Fear and Building Momentum * [00:29:33] - The Courage of Latino Players * [00:36:16] - Life After the Union: Dramatic Improvements

Welcome to Sports Solidarity with Harry Marino

Sports is a trillion-dollar industry. But sports aren’t just games – they’re workplaces. Sports Solidarity with Harry Marino goes behind the scenes of one of the most visible and powerful industries in the world. The show is hosted by Harry, an attorney and former professional baseball player who led the unionization of Minor League Baseball and has since led landmark collective bargaining negotiations across the sports industry. Each episode takes you inside locker rooms, union halls, and boardrooms to hear real stories from the people who have lived them. From athletes to organizers to industry insiders, Sports Solidarity examines how labor, power, and money collide in professional sports. If you care about sports, labor, or the future of work, listen in to hear the conversations happening behind the scenes. The first episode drops on Tuesday, May 5th. Follow and subscribe so you never miss an episode. SportsSolidarity.com [http://sportssolidarity.com]