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The US women’s national soccer team (USWNT) has filed a gender discrimination lawsuit against their governing body, US Soccer, seeking equal pay and working conditions.
All 28 members of the squad that took part in the recent SheBelieves Cup have filed the lawsuit with the United States District Court in Los Angeles, citing “institutionalised gender discrimination” in a potentially multi-million dollar case seeking class action status.
Requesting back pay, damages and other relief, the suit is looking to represent anyone who has played for the women’s national team since 4th February 2015 and crucially is not being brought by the US Women's National Team Players Association (USWNTPA) but by the players individually.
The lawsuit, being directed by Jeffrey Kessler, a partner at Chicago-based firm Winston & Strawn, claims that from March 2013 through 31st December 2016, when the previous collective bargaining agreement expired, USWNT players could make a maximum salary of US$72,000, plus bonuses for winning non-tournament games as well as World Cup appearances and victories, and for Olympic placement.
Despite being part of indisputably one of the greatest women’s national soccer teams of all time, the USWNT players would average about US$8,200 less per game than their male counterparts over the course of a 20-game international friendly calendar year.
The lawsuit also references the “revenue-sharing model” the USWNTPA pitched as part of a new collective bargaining agreement, which took effect in 2017 and runs through 2021. At the time, the pitch was meant to challenge US Soccer's assessment that “market realities do not justify equal pay”.
The new filing states: ‘Under this model, player compensation would increase in years in which [US Soccer] derived more revenue from [USWNT] activities and player compensation would be less if revenue from those activities decreased. This showed the players' willingness to share in the risk and reward of the economic success of the [USWNT].’
Complicating the issue, is that the women’s and men’s teams have their own collective bargaining agreements with US Soccer. Between the two is a major difference in pay structure with the men receiving higher game bonuses, but are paid only when they make the team, while the women receive guaranteed salaries supplemented by smaller match bonuses.
The action is being taken just months before the Fifa Women’s World Cup this summer in France.
The US women’s national soccer team (USWNT) has filed a gender discrimination lawsuit against their governing body, US Soccer, seeking equal pay and working conditions.
All 28 members of the squad that took part in the recent SheBelieves Cup have filed the lawsuit with the United States District Court in Los Angeles, citing “institutionalised gender discrimination” in a potentially multi-million dollar case seeking class action status.
Requesting back pay, damages and other relief, the suit is looking to represent anyone who has played for the women’s national team since 4th February 2015 and crucially is not being brought by the US Women's National Team Players Association (USWNTPA) but by the players individually.
The lawsuit, being directed by Jeffrey Kessler, a partner at Chicago-based firm Winston & Strawn, claims that from March 2013 through 31st December 2016, when the previous collective bargaining agreement expired, USWNT players could make a maximum salary of US$72,000, plus bonuses for winning non-tournament games as well as World Cup appearances and victories, and for Olympic placement.
Despite being part of indisputably one of the greatest women’s national soccer teams of all time, the USWNT players would average about US$8,200 less per game than their male counterparts over the course of a 20-game international friendly calendar year.
The lawsuit also references the “revenue-sharing model” the USWNTPA pitched as part of a new collective bargaining agreement, which took effect in 2017 and runs through 2021. At the time, the pitch was meant to challenge US Soccer's assessment that “market realities do not justify equal pay”.
The new filing states: ‘Under this model, player compensation would increase in years in which [US Soccer] derived more revenue from [USWNT] activities and player compensation would be less if revenue from those activities decreased. This showed the players' willingness to share in the risk and reward of the economic success of the [USWNT].’
Complicating the issue, is that the women’s and men’s teams have their own collective bargaining agreements with US Soccer. Between the two is a major difference in pay structure with the men receiving higher game bonuses, but are paid only when they make the team, while the women receive guaranteed salaries supplemented by smaller match bonuses.
The action is being taken just months before the Fifa Women’s World Cup this summer in France.
