The United States Women’s National Team Players Association calls the identical contract proposal “PR stunts”

The sport’s national governing body made the offer to both teams in an effort to settle an ongoing dispute with the United States women’s national soccer team over equal pay.

“The USSF’s PR stunts and media bargaining will no longer bring us closer to a fair deal,” said the USWNTPA, which acts as a union for players. in a tweet on Wednesday.

“On the contrary, we are committed to negotiating in good faith to achieve equal pay and the safest working conditions possible. The proposal that the USSF recently made to us does neither,” he said. added.

The federation responded to the USWNTPA’s social media post shortly thereafter, tweet, “An offer on paper of identical contracts to the USWNT and USMNT, and to discuss the equalization of the prize money, is real, authentic and in good faith. A publicity stunt is a 90-minute one-way film . ”

A new proposal

In a statement on Tuesday, the federation said it “firmly believes that the best path to follow for all involved, and for the future of sport in the United States, is a single pay structure for both major national teams.”

“This proposal will ensure that USWNT and USMNT players remain among the highest paid senior national team players in the world, while providing a revenue sharing structure that would allow all parties to start over and collectively share the opportunity it has. US Soccer’s combined investments in the future will deliver over a new CBA, ”the statement said.

“In addition, US Soccer has once again invited players and both player associations to join the Federation to find a way to match the FIFA World Cup prize money between the USMNT and the USWNT. US Soccer will not accept no collective bargaining agreement that does not take the important step of equaling the cash prize of the FIFA World Cup. ”

FIFA awarded $ 30 million in cash prizes to players competing in the 2019 World Cup, while male players received $ 400 million for the 2018 World Cup.

“I think we are moving in the right direction”

US soccer star Alex Morgan, who won the World Cup with his national team in 2019, said the USWNTPA “still needs to talk about US Soccer’s statement.”

“Any commitment to equal pay publicly is good. However, we have to look line by line at what they are actually providing. If you have equality but it’s not even what we got before or the value we are, then we still consider this not. it’s pretty good. We will continue to work with US Soccer moving forward, seeking fair and equal treatment, “added Morgan, speaking ahead of USWNT’s friendly against Paraguay on Thursday.

He said that as the team’s collective bargaining agreement (CBA) expires at the end of the year, they are “in active negotiations right now.”

“We don’t want to start the new year without a new CBA in place. This is the # 1 priority of our PA, our legal team. Looking at the statements, it’s hard to say. We want to feel encouraged and we want to be optimistic, but we’ve already seen. many statements.

“What we really want to do is see what we can do at the negotiating table, see those statements being put into action in those negotiations. Of course, we are always confident. You have to continue to have hope. We are seeing great things around the world, more recently. with Ireland accepting equal pay for their women’s and men’s teams. I think we are moving in the right direction. ”

An ongoing dispute

The current back-and-forth between the women’s team and their governing body marks the continuation of a dispute that dates back to March 2019, when the USWNT filed a gender discrimination lawsuit against US Soccer.

With 28 of the team’s players listed as plaintiffs, the USWNT’s claim that they were paid less than the men’s national team was dismissed in May 2020 by federal judge Gary Klausner, who ruled that the women’s team played more games and earned more money than their male counterparts.

Following the decision, two-time USWNT World Cup winners Christen Press and Tobin Heath told CNN their desire to continue the fight for equal pay, with Heath describing the stakes as “bigger than anything we could ever win in football. ”

In July of this year, the USWNT appealed the May 2020 ruling, saying the decision “defies reality” and is “legally wrong”.

USA football tweeted a statement in response to the team’s appeal, stating that the decision “correctly found that the women’s national team was paid more cumulatively and on average per game than the men’s national team.”

progress

While the USWNT continues to advocate for equal pay, national women’s football organizations elsewhere have seen promising developments.

The Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) has announced that the women’s team will receive the same salary as the men’s team in September 2020, in terms of both daily rates and cash prizes.

Last month, the Irish Football Association (FAI) revealed that senior men’s and women’s national teams will receive the same fees in international service, with the men’s team accepting a tax cut to level payments.

“This is a great day for Irish football,” said Irish women’s captain Katie McCabe.

“We have taken a huge step forward with this agreement and have shown the world what can be achieved through unity, as we offer the same opportunities to international male and female players.”

Men’s captain Seamus Coleman added: “On behalf of the senior men’s team, I welcome this news today.

“We are delighted as players to do everything possible to ensure that our international players are treated fairly and fairly and we remain fully committed to doing everything possible to achieve this together.”