USWNT settles part of discrimination lawsuit
- par Rene Duval
- dans Sport
- — Déc 4, 2020
U.S. women's national team players and the U.S. Soccer Federation have settled their long-running lawsuit over inequitable working conditions with the men's team while leaving their dispute over unequal pay for additional litigation. In May, Judge Gary Klausner of the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California issued a partial summary judgment which had dismissed the USWNT players' arguments entirely - ruling that the USWNT had prioritized guaranteed. As a result of the settlement, the female players will receive the same flights, hotel rooms and staff support as the men's national team. Indicative of the rancor were filings this spring by U.S. Soccer that disparaged women's players as lesser than their male counterparts. We want to have a different relationship with them. Working together we can amplify our efforts to make a larger impact across the world. And I think they're starting to see that.
Players sued the USSF in March 2019 claiming they have not been paid equitably under their collective bargaining agreement compared to what is received by the men's team, which failed to qualify for the 2018 World Cup.
The settlement doesn't include an agreement over equal pay.
But Klausner allowed aspects of their allegations of discriminatory working conditions to be put to trial, which had been scheduled for next month.
"We are pleased that the players have fought for - and achieved - long-overdue equal working conditions", said Molly Levinson, spokeswoman for the players.
Cone said that as a former women's team player, "I can promise you that I am committed to equality".
The lawsuit got global attention. This is not over yet. To (U.S. Soccer): "equal pay, now", he wrote. "I would love to join forces with the women's team and help push Federation Internationale de Football Association to equalize not only World Cup prize money but equalize their investment in the game at all levels".
In court documents reviewed by CBS, the federation argued that the USWNT had less responsibility than the men's national team.
"The players' association shares the plaintiffs' satisfaction that long unequal working conditions will be equal going forward", the women's union said in a statement.
- Hotel accommodations (comparable budgets for men and women).
Additionally, under a venue selection policy included as part of the settlement, the federation will "seek to provide equally acceptable venues and field playing surfaces" for the national teams. Likewise, the USWNT will employ the same number of support staffers as the men's side.
"Coming to agreement on the working conditions was just the first step", Parlow Cone said. U.S. Soccer argues that given the differences in the prize money apportioned by FIFA for men's and women's events, doing so would cause the federation financial harm. Last year's separate lawsuit, in which 28 members of the team were listed as plaintiffs, saw players demand more than US$66 million in backpay, with the majority of that sum relating to World Cup prize money. Since then, FIFA President Gianni Infantino has suggested doubling the overall prize money for the women's tournament and the organization's investment in women's soccer globally. "The way we reached this settlement was in a collaborative way".
In her statement Tuesday, Parlow Cone reiterated the federation's "standing offer to discuss contract options".
"We all know this isn't possible from a U.S. Soccer standpoint to make that up", Parlow Cone said.
