USWNTPA calls US Soccer's contract proposal a 'PR stunt'

The US Soccer Federation has offered identical contracts to its men's and women's national teams in an attempt to resolve its gender pay dispute. However, the United States Women's National Team Players Association (USWNTPA) has described the proposal as a "PR stunt".

The United States Women's National Team Players Association (USWNTPA) has labelled the US Soccer Federation's move to offer identical contracts to its men's and women's national teams as nothing more than a publicity stunt.

The US Soccer Federation (USSF) announced its offer on Tuesday as part of an effort to align the women's and men's national teams under one collective bargaining agreement.

"USSF's PR stunts and bargaining through the media will not bring us any closer to a fair agreement," the USWNTPA said 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."

 

The USWNT sued U.S. soccer's governing body in 2019 over allegations of gender discrimination in compensation and nearly every other aspect of their playing conditions.

 

The lawsuit, which sought $66 million in damages under the Equal Pay Act, was dismissed. But the USWNT has since appealed.

The USWNT's current labour agreement expires at the end of 2021, while the men's team has been operating under the terms of a deal that expired in 2018.

The United States won the Women's World Cup for the fourth time in France in 2019 and has claimed Olympic gold five times. The men's team failed to qualify for the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

Prize money at the 2018 men's World Cup was $400m (£312m), with champion France receiving $38m (£29.7m). The prize fund for the 2019 Women's World Cup was $30m (£23.4m), with winner the United States receiving $4m (£3.1m).