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The United States Football Federation and its World Cup-winning women’s team said on Tuesday it had resolved the players’ outstanding demands for working conditions, a rare moment of relaxation – and mutual happiness – in the legal battle of long standing of the parties for equal pay.
The agreement, filed in federal court in California, is equal parts labor peace and legal maneuvering. By removing one of the last unresolved pieces of the team’s wage discrimination lawsuit, US Soccer and its new management team are getting rid of another point of contention in a dispute they would rather see ended.
For the players and their lawyers, the deal offers an opportunity: By dropping their claims of unequal working conditions, the women’s stars paved the way to appeal a May ruling that dismissed most of their workers. equal pay demands.
US Soccer President Cindy Parlow Cone praised the deal, saying it signals the federation’s efforts “to find a new way forward” with the women’s team and hopefully a way out. to the remainder of the dispute.
“This regulation is good news for everyone,” said Cone, “and I think it will serve as a springboard for continued progress.”
The working conditions agreement codified an effort whereby US Soccer had already begun to eliminate all differences in areas such as staffing, travel, hotel accommodations, and related issues when players national men’s and women’s teams are at the camp. US Soccer said it would put the deal into effect immediately.
The deal does not address past working conditions and does not involve any payment to the players, according to an American football official familiar with the deal. But by resolving allegations of discrimination in the players’ workplace, it will allow players to refocus on overturning the ruling on their equal pay claims. This effort, if successful, could be worth tens of millions of dollars in back wages and damages.
“We are pleased that the USWNT players have fought for – and achieved – a long overdue level playing field,” Molly Levinson, player spokesperson, said in a statement. “We now intend to appeal the court ruling, which ignores the central fact in this case that the players were paid at lower rates than the men doing the same job.
“We remain as committed as ever,” added Levinson, “to our work to achieve the equal pay we legally deserve.”
The players and US Soccer have charted a course in their relationship since May, when a federal judge, R. Gary Klausner of the United States District Court for the Central District of California, dealt a devastating blow to the players’ arguments on equal pay. .
In his ruling, Judge Klausner not only rejected the players’ claim that they were systematically underpaid by US Soccer compared to the Men’s National Team players, but he also said the federation had substantiated his argument. that the women’s team had in fact won more “on both a cumulative and game average” than the men’s team during the years at issue in the lawsuit.
The decision was a significant, albeit unpopular, victory for American football. The players – stars like Megan Rapinoe, Alex Morgan and others – are some of the federation’s most popular and highest paid employees, and they have embraced the fight for equal pay. Thanks to their years of media training, popularity and huge social media following, they have worked effectively since going public with their fight almost five years ago to bring fans and, most importantly, the sponsors of the federation to their cause.
The new agreement on working conditions is expected to be included in the new collective agreements for both national teams, with triggers that would automatically reciprocate gains on both sides in future negotiations.
Teams have a long history of separate unions, separate collective agreements and separate pay structures – part of the reason they are paid differently and, according to women, unfairly – but these agreements have yet to be worked out. The men’s agreement is expected at the end of 2018. The current women’s ABCs expire at the end of 2021.
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