US WOMEN TEAM AGAINST SOCCER FEDERATION

[Anónimo]

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All 28 members of the United States women’s national team squad have begun legal action against the US Soccer Federation (USSF), just months before defending the Women’s World Cup title. On Friday (the same day as International Women’s Day), the championship-winning soccer team filed a federal gender discrimination lawsuit to the U.S. Soccer Federation.

The suit, in United States District Court in Los Angeles under the Equal Pay Act and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, comes only three months before the team will begin defense of its Women’s World Cup title at this summer’s tournament in France. In their filing and a statement released by the team, the 28 players described “institutionalized gender discrimination” that they say has existed for years.

The discrimination, the athletes said, affects not only their paychecks but also where they play and how often, how they train, the medical treatment and coaching they receive, and even how they travel to matches. The discrimination lawsuit relates to equal pay and working conditions. It follows a discrimination complaint made by five American players in 2016.

The players involved stars like: Alex Morgan, Megan Rapinoe and Carli Lloyd and their teammates include some of the most accomplished and best-known female athletes in the world, members of a team that has been a leading force in women’s sports for more than a generation. The players’ continuing battle with U.S. Soccer, which is not only their employer, but also the federation that governs the sport in America, has thrust them to the forefront of a broader fight for equality in women’s sports.

Friday’s legal action is the latest flash point in a yearslong fight for pay equity and equal treatment by the national team, which has long chafed — first privately, but increasingly publicly — about the compensation, support and working conditions it receives while representing U.S. Soccer. The women’s players argue that they are required to play more games than the men’s team, that they win more of them, and yet still receive less pay from the federation.

For decades, U.S. Soccer has been a world leader in its support for women’s soccer; its investment of time and resources has made the United States, which is a three-time world champion and a four-time Olympic gold medalist, the dominant power in the women’s game. But throughout that period, generations of women’s national team players have complained that the federation’s financial support and logistical infrastructure have lagged behind that of the more high-profile men’s team.

Direct comparisons between the compensation of the men’s and women’s teams can be complicated. Each team has its own collective bargaining agreement with U.S. Soccer, and among the major differences is pay structure: The men receive higher game bonuses when they play for the United States, but are paid only when they make the team, while the women receive guaranteed salaries supplemented by smaller match bonuses.
One of the biggest differences in compensation is the multimillion-dollar bonuses the teams receive for participating in the World Cup, but those bonuses — a pool of $400 million for 32 men’s teams versus $30 million for 24 women’s teams — are determined by FIFA, world soccer’s governing body, not U.S. Soccer.

The suit offers a new forum but also new hurdles. The players, will have to prove not only that their team and the men’s squad do the same work, but also overcome questions about the differences in their pay structures and their negotiated collective bargaining agreements.

The new lawsuit mirrors many of the issues raised by that complaint and the lack of action three years on led the players to seek, and be granted. Their decision to now take their case to federal court means the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) complaint is effectively ended.

Long live women’s fight!!!

[Camilo Ruiz]

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Totally relevant. I fully support the women`s demand. the USWNT is the best in the world. The NWSL has gained increasing popularity and should be boosted and better supported.

[Daniel Sánchez]

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It’s absurd to think the women should be paid the same as the men when they don’t generate nearly as much revenue. Women’s soccer is less profitable. Period.

[Oliver Clemente]

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This should be a no- brainer. The U.S. Womens Soccer Program is iconic in the world of sports. The U.S. Mens Team has been basically mediocre at best.

[Anónimo]

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Pay for performance. The USA women’s team has far outperformed the men’s team.

[Rober Gimenez]

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I have a better idea. Let’s do like corporate America does and close the income gap by diluting the men’s pay.

Who draws the most fans, sells the most tickets? Just asking.

[Tomas Catalan]

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I say good for the Women’s US Soccer team. They have played it nice for far too long. They win, draw crowds, and this summer when they play for the World Cup, will draw high TV ratings.

[Anónimo]

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Equal pay for equal play seems fair. Since the US women’s team currently draws a larger crowd, and now generates more revenue for US soccer, I don’t see why the men’s team should be more highly paid.

[Anónimo]

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The compensation players receive is directly related to the sponsorship and coverage time on television and socially. While an equal and fair world would pay women equally, people have to realize that men’s soccer gets more coverage and leads to more sponsorship which leads to more revenue leading to high income to players

[Anónimo]

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Wages, job opportunity, promotion–whether sport or employment–women are victimized across the board. Any effort to correct this aberration is welcome and deserving of our support!

[Anónimo]

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why even field a mens team that has never won anything? put all the money into womens football and collect more trophies….

[Autor]

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