U.S. Women’s Soccer Team Settles Part Of Gender Discrimination Suit

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Megan Rapinoe (center) and Alex Morgan (right), pictured celebrating with U.S. women’s soccer teammates in New York after a ticker tape parade, on July 10, 2019. «We are pleased that the USWNT Players have fought for – and achieved – long overdue equal working conditions,» a spokeswoman for the team said on Tuesday.

Seth Wenig/AP

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Seth Wenig/AP

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Federal Judge Dismisses U.S. Women’s Soccer Team’s Equal Pay Claim

Molly Levinson, a spokesperson for the players was also pleased with the outcome of negotiations on Tuesday, although she confirmed that the WNT’s legal challenge over wages is far from over.

«We are pleased that the USWNT Players have fought for – and achieved – long overdue equal working conditions,» Levinson said in a statement.

«We now intend to file our appeal to the Court’s decision which does not account for the central fact in this case that women players have been paid at lesser rates than men who do the same job. We remain as committed as ever to our work to achieve the equal pay that we legally deserve. Our focus is on the future and ensuring we leave the game a better place for the next generation of women who will play for this team and this country.»

The case hit a major setback in May when a judge rejected the women’s team’s equal pay claim. At the time, federal Judge R. Gary Klausner pointed to differences in the structure of the men’s and women’s contracts — contracts to which they agreed in collective bargaining.

«The WNT rejected an offer to be paid under the same pay-to-play structure as the MNT [Men’s National Team] and … the WNT was willing to forgo higher bonuses for other benefits, such as greater base compensation and the guarantee of a higher number of contracted players,» Klausner wrote. «Accordingly, Plaintiffs cannot now retroactively deem their CBA worse than the MNT CBA by reference to what they would have made had they been paid under the MNT’s pay-to-play structure when they themselves rejected such a structure.»

On Tuesday, Parlow Cone said the federation and the players are engaged in «more substantial conversations on the equal pay front.»

«We are taking a new approach,» she said. «It is my hope that we continue down this path and are able to find a resolution on all aspects of this litigation.»

The settlement needs to be approved by the court before it can go into effect. A final judgment must still be entered on the equal pay claims, in order for the WNT to file an appeal.