U.S. Men’s Soccer Players Call for Women’s Team's Pay to Triple

During negotiations with the U.S. Soccer Federation over a new collective-bargaining agreement, the U.S. men’s soccer team players association demanded that pay for the U.S. women’s team be tripled.

The women’s team, which is currently suing the federation over pay discrimination, agreed to a collective bargaining agreement in April 2017 that extends through 2021 which they feel is unfair.

The men, who saw their labor contract expire at the end of 2018, agree.

“The women’s 2017-2021 deal is worse than the men’s 2011-2018 deal,” the men’s union said in a statement Wednesday. “The federation continues to discriminate against the women in their wages and working conditions. … What we believe should happen is simple. Pay the women significantly more than our recently expired men’s deal. In our estimation, the women were due at least triple what our expired deal was worth in player compensation.”

The union’s statement was prompted by the federation’s argument that the U.S. men’s team’s pay should stay at the level it was in 2018.

“This is not because there is any basis for that position,” the men’s statement says. “Instead, it’s a desperate attempt to cover up the fact that what they did to the women in 2017 is indefensible.”

The men are urging U.S. soccer fans to write to Congress and to let sponsors know they won’t support them until the federation gives the women a new agreement paying a fair share of gate receipts, television and sponsorship revenue.

“Our great hope is that 2020 will be the year of equal pay,” women’s star Megan Rapinoe said in an issued statement. “We are grateful for the support of our male colleagues, and also for the overwhelming solidarity from millions of fans and sponsors around the world who have stood with us to fight USSF’s discrimination. Achieving equal pay is so much bigger than our team and our playing fields — women in workforces everywhere deserve equality now.”

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