The US women’s national soccer team and their federation have ratified a new deal on pay and conditions, bringing to an end a long-running dispute that put USA’s top stars in serious conflict with their employers.
The World Cup champions had long claimed that the men’s national team unjustly earned far more than they did, despite doing comparable work. Five high-profile players – Carli Lloyd, Alex Morgan, Megan Rapinoe, Becky Sauerbrunn and Hope Solo – drew attention to their cause a year ago when they filed a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission alleging wage discrimination.
The deal was ratified by the players and US Soccer’s board on Tuesday. The agreement runs through 2021, and covers the 2019 World Cup in France and the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
The new terms include generous increases in base pay and match bonuses, better per diem allowances, enhanced travel benefits and increased financial support for players who are pregnant – but does not necessarily guarantee equal pay with their male counterparts.
However, some players are likely to double their incomes, and the players’ union said it was happy with the outcome. Meghan Klingenberg, the national team full-back and a union representative, said: “I’m proud of the tireless work that the players and our bargaining team put in to promote the game and ensure a bright future for American players. We are excited to further strengthen the players’ union through our new revenue-generating opportunities and abilities.”
Talks had stalled late last year when the players split with the union’s executive director, but they picked up again this year when the union brought in a new executive director to help fight their corner.
Rapinoe said: “I am incredibly proud of this team and the commitment we have shown through this entire process. While I think there is still much progress to be made for us and for women more broadly, I think the team should be very proud of this deal and feel empowered moving forward.”
US Soccer and the players said in a joint statement: “We believe this is another important step to continue our efforts to drive the growth of women’s soccer in the US. This agreement helps to ensure the strength of the women’s national team, provide stability and growth potential for the NWSL, and over time strengthen the elite player development process at the grassroots level. We believe our continued partnership will ensure a bright future for our sport for years to come.”
The team play Russia in a double-header this week in Texas – at the Toyota Stadium in Frisco on Thursday, and again at BBVA Compass Stadium in Houston on Sunday.
