After a three-year disagreement over pay equity, the US Soccer Federation has made a move to settle the dispute with the US Women’s National Team Players Association (USWNTPA) by presenting a proposal that would provide the same contracts to both the men’s and women’s teams.
Just a day later, the USWNTPA has criticized USSF’s efforts to bring both the men’s and women’s teams under a joint agreement, calling it a mere publicity stunt.
The USWNTPA stated on Twitter, “USSF’s focus on public relations tactics and negotiating through the media will not help us reach a fair deal. Instead, we are dedicated to engaging in fair negotiations to achieve equal pay and ensure safe working conditions. The recent proposal from USSF does not address these issues.”
In its announcement of the proposal, USSF mentioned, “US Soccer strongly believes that the optimal way forward for everyone involved is to have a unified pay structure for both the men’s and women’s senior national teams. This offer aims to ensure that players from USWNT and USMNT continue to be among the highest-paid players on national teams worldwide.”
In 2019, the USWNT filed a lawsuit against USSF for $66 million under the Equal Pay Act. While the lawsuit was initially dismissed, the women’s team has appealed the decision.
