Expert economists can unlock union wins

When unions recruit high‑status economists to reframe negotiations around a simple, measurable metric—like the fraction of league revenue going to player compensation—negotiations can produce outsized, rapid gains. Claudia Goldin’s unpaid advisory role for the WNBA union and the resulting near‑400% salary increase suggest that technical credibility and a revenue‑share framing can calm internal bargaining, persuade owners, and reset industry pay standards. — This suggests a replicable tactic for labor movements and a new avenue for experts to influence redistribution and gendered pay gaps in high‑visibility industries.