The U.S. Soccer Federation has agreed to settle a women's soccer lawsuit, pending the ratification of a new collective bargaining agreement with the USWNT players' union. A group representing female soccer players filed the suit against the league. The settlement is contingent on the USWNT players' union ratifying the new collective bargainING agreement. This agreement will help to stabilize women's football in the United States.
U.S. Soccer settles with women's soccer players
After their lawsuit was resolved out of court, USSF has now reached a settlement agreement with women's players. Carlos Cordeiro, USSF's president, commented on the differences in skill between women & men. This led to the lawsuit. Cordeiro claimed that women are better at math than men. However, this was untrue. After the public revelations, Cordeiro resigned.
The settlement is $22,000,000, and will go to 28 USWNT athletes. The $2 million remainder will go to a women’s soccer charity. This settlement is the result of litigation that was filed against USSF in 2019. It was based on allegations that the USSF discriminates against women. The women's team claimed they were not paid as much as men and that they were exposed to more dangerous playing conditions.
The women's team is just as popular than their male counterparts. They have combined 2.1million Instagram followers. Despite all the negative press surrounding U.S. Soccer Settlement, the women’s soccer team remains one the most loved sports in the United States.
Settlement contingent on ratification of new collective bargaining agreement by USWNT players association
The United States Soccer Federation reached a tentative agreement with the USWNT Players Association. This is subject to the ratification a new collective bargaining arrangement. The settlement is a major win for gender equality in the game. Parties have agreed to extend current CBA through March 31. After that, they will seek final approval.
New collective bargaining agreements (CBAs) between the U.S. Soccer Federation, the USWNT players' union and the U.S. Soccer Federation will guarantee equal pay and working conditions for both teams in December 2020. The settlement makes it clear that both the men's' and women's soccer teams will be paid according to their performance. Additionally, both teams will be equally compensated through pay-to–play systems.
A USWNT player group filed a complaint against the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) in March 2016. The complaint claimed that the USWNT was being unfairly discriminated. US Soccer announced in November, that it had offered players the same contracts that the men's team and that it would negotiate despite the dismissal. Both sides reached an agreement which will guarantee equal pay for players, and make the sport more accessible to women in America.
Future of women’s soccer will be affected by the settlement
A federal judge threw out many aspects the lawsuit brought by the USWNT against U.S. Football. It is not clear if the settlement will impact the future development of women's soccer within the United States. It does however indicate that the USWNT will receive equal compensation for World Cup wins as for other competitive events. The USWNT's collective bargaining agreement must be approved by the District Court.
The collective bargaining agreement between players and managers has been a win-win situation for women's football. It means that women's team will be able to earn an increase in their base salary and match bonuses. This could increase the income of some players by up to twofold. The players will now have the ability to control their licensing and marketing rights in addition to increased salaries.
The settlement provides support for future generations. Settlements will enable female players to have the same travel benefits and benefits as male players. It will also help to restore trust between players and federations. This will be the first step toward the long-term goal of improving the future of women's soccer.