U.S. women's national soccer team pay discrimination claim


Five women who were members of the United States women's national soccer team filed a Charge of Discrimination with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission accusing the United States Soccer Federation of wage discrimination in April 2016.
Separately, the Women's National Team Players Association filed a complaint in U.S. District court seeking to void an extension of its collective bargaining agreement with the United States Soccer Federation through the end of 2016. On July 3, 2016, the court ruled that the extension was valid and that the Players Association was bound by a no-strike provision in the agreement.
This case does not apply to pay differences between men's and women's professional soccer leagues.

Complaint

The main complaints from the players involve claims of wage discrimination. The petitioners pointed out that men receive a $5,000 bonus for a loss in a friendly match, while women receive nothing for a loss or a draw. However, when the teams win, the men receive as much as $17,625, but women only receive $1,350. Further, in 2011, when the women placed second in their World Cup, they were awarded $1.8 million, split evenly among the 24 players on the team. The men's team made it only to the round of 16 that year; however, they were awarded $5 million. In 2014, when Germany won the Men's World Cup, the US team was awarded $35 million by FIFA, while the women received 5% of that for their Cup victory in 2015.
The United States Soccer Federation responded to the complaint in a statement detailing its efforts to promote women's soccer, including its support of the National Women's Soccer League.
In April 2017, the Players Association and the Federation negotiated a new collective bargaining agreement which may render the players' EEOC complaint moot. As of April 2017, the EEOC had not issued a decision.

Reactions

called on the team to not "give up this fight," and demand US Soccer "pay now," or "when I'm president, you can go elsewhere for World Cup funding."