An offer by the U.S. Soccer Federation of identical contract proposals for both the men’s and women’s soccer teams has been called a “PR stunt” by the United States Women’s National Team Players Association.
“USSF’s PR stunts and bargaining through the media will not bring us any closer to a fair agreement,” the USWNTPA posted to Twitter. “In contrast, we are committed to bargaining in good faith to achieve equal pay and the safest working conditions possible. The proposal that USSF made recently to us does neither.”
USSF’s PR stunts and bargaining through the media will not bring us any closer to a fair agreement. In contrast, we are committed to bargaining in good faith to achieve equal pay and the safest working conditions possible. The proposal that USSF made recently to us does neither. https://t.co/lzchRa0hea
— USWNT Players (@USWNTPlayers) September 15, 2021
The offer by the USSF was announced Tuesday, focusing on a “single pay structure” for both teams.
“U.S. Soccer firmly believes that the best path forward for all involved, and for the future of the sport in the United States, is a single pay structure for both senior national teams,” the USSF said in a statement on their website. “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 begin anew and share collectively in the opportunity that combined investment in the future of the U.S. Soccer will deliver over the course of a new CBA.”
The USSF also “called upon the players and both Players Associations to join the Federation in finding a way to equalize FIFA World Cup prize money between the USMNT and the USWNT.”
For the 2022 World Cup, FIFA has proposed $440 million in prize money to the men’s teams that participate, while offering $60 million to teams of the 2023 Women’s World Cup.
In March 2019, USWNT players sued the USSF claiming gender discrimination and that they had not been paid equitably compared to what the men received.
On Friday, Cindy Parlow Cone — U.S. Soccer Federation President — wrote an open letter asking the two teams to negotiate “a solution that equalizes World Cup prize money between the USMNT and USWNT.”
“We see an opportunity to create change,” Parlow Cone wrote. “We need our men’s and women’s national teams to come together and re-think how we’ve done things in the past. To that end, we have invited the players and both players’ associations to join U.S. Soccer in negotiating a solution together that equalizes World Cup prize money between the USMNT and USWNT.”
“Finding a framework that works for everyone will require open and thoughtful conversations and sincere commitment from USMNT and USWNT players to come together. Until FIFA equalizes the prize money that it awards to the men’s and women’s World Cup participants, it is incumbent upon us to collectively find a solution.”
The USWNT were expected to take home the gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics but had to settle for the bronze medal after losing to Canada in the semi finals.
Joe Morgan is the Sports Reporter for The Daily Wire. Most recently, Morgan covered the Clippers, Lakers, and the NBA for Sporting News. Send your sports questions to [email protected].