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Women’s team players, US Soccer extend their labor contracts for 3 months

The United States Soccer Federation and the federation for their women’s national team have agreed to a three-month extension of their employment contracts through the end of March, a move announced the same day the players filed their applications. briefly asked the federal appeals court to reinstate their equal pay claim.

As part of the extension, the parties have agreed the federation will stop paying national team players in the National Women’s Soccer League. The national team player allocation system has been in place since the tournament began in 2013.

“USWNT players will have no restrictions on the league in which they play club football,” the union for the women’s national team said in a statement Monday. “Players who choose NWSL will sign directly with the NWSL/an NWSL club and will be employed by the NWSL.”

The NWSL Players’ Association is trying to negotiate an initial employment contract with the union, which has settled sexual harassment allegations that led to Commissioner Lisa Baird’s resignation in October.

The extension gives more time for negotiations in the lead up to the regional qualifiers for the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, scheduled for July 4-20.

Players led by Alex Morgan sued the USSF in March 2019, alleging that they were not being paid fairly under the collective bargaining agreement compared to what the men’s team received under the agreement, which expired in December 2018. Females claim over $64 million. damages plus $3 million in profits under the Equal Pay Act and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

U.S. District Judge R. Gary Klausner of Los Angeles gave the union a summary ruling on the wage claim in May 2020. The judge ruled that the women refused the pay-to-play structure. similar to men’s agreement with the USSF and accept higher base wages and benefits than men. He allowed their allegation of discriminatory working conditions to go to trial and the parties reached agreement on that part.

“The district court erred on a matter of law when it held that women could not establish a preliminary suit under the Equal Pay Act because their overall and per-match compensation was greater than that of men. ,” the players’ attorneys wrote in a brief reply filed Monday with the 9th U.S. Court of Appeals in San Francisco. “The Equal Pay Act asks if the payout ratio – not the total amount of compensation – is equal. And here, the analysis of odds has to take into account that players are paid not only to play but also to win.”

The court asked the parties on November 23 to consider a date for an oral argument in Pasadena, California, from March to May. The case will be assigned to a panel of three judges.

The USSF said that women accept to sign labor contracts with higher guaranteed wages than men and additional benefits.

“US Soccer remains committed to fairly paying our national team’s senior players and ensuring that they remain among the highest-paid in the world,” the federation said in a statement. declare.

On September 14, the USSF said it offered identical contracts to men’s and women’s unions, which are separate and under no obligation under federal labor law to agree to the terms of the contract. similar account. The union met with unions on November 29 and is scheduled to meet with the women’s union on Monday.

“We will continue to encourage both the USWNT and our USMNT to come together at one table to agree on a path forward that benefits everyone,” the USSF said.

The USSF said it could not control the amount of prize money awarded to federations by FIFA, football’s governing body.

FIFA has awarded $ 400 million in prize money to 32 teams at the 2018 World Cup in men’s football, including $ 38 million for the French champion. It awarded $30 million to 24 teams at the 2019 Women’s World Cup, including $4 million to the US after the Americans won their second straight title.

FIFA has increased the total to $440 million for the 2022 men’s World Cup, and president Gianni Infantino has proposed FIFA double the women’s prize money to $60 million for the 2023 Women’s World Cup, of which FIFA has increased the number of teams to 32 teams.

Under their employment contracts, American players receive $55,000 each for shortlisting for the 2014 World Cup, then split $4.3 million to win four points in the group stage and qualify for the knockout stages. That calculates to just under $187,000 per player.

The US Women split $862,500 for making the list and $2.53 million for winning the 2019 World Cup, or $147,500 per player. If they had the same performance as the men, their agreed-upon prize money would be $37,500. The women also received payouts for a post-World Cup tour they split: $350,000 per game if they won, $300,000 if they finished second and $250,000 if they finished third.

Trades also have different bonus structures to qualify.

Molly Levinson, a spokeswoman for the players, said “despite many lip services for equal pay, the USSF and its leaders … have not and have not offered fair compensation. for female players.”

“The USSF has failed to fix a culture that has been broken for decades that deliberately denigrates women,” Levinson said.

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