- In a damning statement released by the players association , the men said US Soccer both teams' governing body "had no intention of compensating the women fairly" because it was "trying to protect their monopoly."
- The statement also suggested that the USWNT players "were due at least triple what our expired deal was worth in player compensation."
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US Men's National Team players broke its silence on equal pay and gender discrimination, calling for the women's team to earn 'triple' the men's pay
The USMNT broke its silence on the USWNT's equal pay and gender discrimination lawsuit Wednesday.
Soccer Football - Women's World Cup - Group F - United States v Thailand - Stade Auguste-Delaune, Reims, France - June 11, 2019 Alex Morgan of the U.S. celebrates scoring their twelfth goal with Megan Rapinoe REUTERS/Christian Hartmann
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Much of the conversation surrounding the US Women's National Team's widely-publicized fight for equal pay and ensuing lawsuit against US Soccer has involved comparisons to the men's squad and its players' compensation.
They've stayed notoriously silent on the issue that is, until now.
In a statement released Wednesday , the US men's national team's players association expressed its frustration with the federation, saying US Soccer "had no intention of compensating the women fairly."
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They also called for the women to make "triple" the men's players' pay.
USWNT World Cup 2019
David Vincent/AP
The association suggested that the federation strongarmed the USWNT into accepting a bad collective bargaining agreement in 2017. Since US Soccer controls both National Women's Soccer League the women's professional soccer league in which every member of the USWNT plays and the national team itself, the men's players association argued that the USWNT players had little bargaining power during negotiations.
The players were "aware that a work stoppage could destroy the third effort at a women's professional soccer league in the United States" and completely eradicate both of their primary sources of income, and thus had "no reasonable alternative but to accept the 2017-2021 terms the Federation demanded."
That deal, according to the men's team, "is worse than the men's 2011-2018 deal" and did not account for "the dramatic increase in revenue associated with the USWNT." As a result, the men's players association stated bluntly that "Yes, the Federation continues to discriminate against the women in their wages and working conditions."
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"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. We believe the Federation should have agreed to a deal directly tied to a fair share of the revenue players generate. That is what should have happened, based on the entire history of labor negotiations involving the men and women players and the Federation."
The men also claim that US Soccer is attempting to "cover-up" its "indefensible" actions regarding the 2017 CBA by "taking the frivolous position that the USMNT players' compensation should also stay at those 2011-2018 numbers."
USWNT US Women's National Team Soccer
Zhizhao Wu/Getty Images
They concluded their damning account of the federation's continued use of "monopoly power as a weapon against the players" with a call to action:
"Tell the Federation's sponsors you will not support them until the Federation starts doing the right thing and gives the women a new CBA that pays a fair share of the gate receipts and that television and sponsorship revenue to the players. Write to your Congressional representatives and tell them it is time to reform the Federation. Let the Federation know that you do not believe the false narrative they are circulating."
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"Support the players, not the Federation," they added.
You can read the entire statement on the players association's website.
- Read more:
- There is an easy path to equal pay for women's soccer players, and tennis has already shown it can work at the highest levels
- Serena Williams credits her daughter and the USWNT for inspiring her renewed efforts to combat gender inequality in sports: 'They encourage me to want to continue to fight'
- The USWNT has an embarrassment of riches, and it could be a problem heading into the 2020 Olympics
- US Soccer just announced the new USWNT coach here's everything you need to know about Vlatko Andonovski
See Also:
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- Serena Williams credits her daughter and the USWNT for inspiring her renewed efforts to combat gender inequality in sports: 'They encourage me to want to continue to fight'
- Carli Lloyd says Kobe Bryant helped put her at ease about eventual retirement because he looked 'so happy' after he quit playing
- 10 extraordinary records Lionel Messi still holds
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