The team was not impressed with the federation’s offer of what it called an “identical” contract to the men’s national team
The U.S. women’s national team and U.S. Soccer have traded barbs over the federation’s latest contract proposal, which it called “identical” to the contract it offered the men’s national team.
On Tuesday, U.S. Soccer said it had offered the USWNT and USMNT identical deals after it had previously urged them to jointly negotiate a collective bargaining agreement (CBA).
The USWNT Players Association slammed the offer as a “PR stunt,” which prompted U.S. Soccer to accuse the team of a publicity stunt of their own with their recently released movie.
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What was said?
“USSF’s PR stunts and bargaining through the media will not bring us any closer to a fair agreement,” the USWNTPA charged on Twitter.
“In contrast, we are committed to bargaining in good faith to achieve equal pay and the safest working conditions possible. The proposal that USSF made recently to us does neither.”
U.S. Soccer issued a blistering response, saying: “An offer on paper of identical contracts to the USWNT and USMNT, and to discuss equalizing prize money, is real, authentic and in good faith. A publicity stunt is a 90-minute one-sided movie.”
What is the movie?
The USWNT were prominently featured in “LFG,” a documentary released this summer about the team’s fight for pay equity.
The movie caused U.S. Soccer to charge that it featured a “concerning level of dishonesty.”
What is the status of the team’s pay equity battle?
The USWNT and U.S. Soccer are currently locked in negotiations over a new CBA, with the team’s current agreement set to expire at the end of 2021.
In the meantime, the USWNT have filed an appeal in their ongoing lawsuit against U.S. Soccer after a judge ruled against their financial discrimination claims last year.
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