Group including Hope Solo seek better wages
In a struggle for equality, five World Cup winning American soccer stars have filed a complaint against the U.S. Soccer Federation.
The complaint was issued by members of the American women’s soccer team who were denied the chance to negotiate for higher pay with their governing body.
The players—Carli Lloyd, Hope Solo, Megan Rapinoe, Becky Sauerbrunn, and Alex Morgan—wish for their pay to better reflect their athletic accomplishments, and mirror the pay system of the men’s program.
In the all too common trend of female athletes being paid a fraction of their male counterparts, the USA soccer program is no exception.
A recent report from the Wall Street Journal detailed the significant pay gap, and revealed that for a female player earning $75,000, in comparison, a male player would earn nearly $400,000. The pay reflects differences in not only base salary but also performance-based bonuses. For 20 exhibition games a player of the women’s team earns $72,000 with bonuses for wins that can increase pay to a maximum of $99,000. On the men’s side, however, a player earns $5,000 each game and bonuses can reward up to $17,625 per victory.
As international level athletes paid to practice, win, and entertain fans, the women’s program has seen more success in recent years than the men—inciting more interest and revenue alongside their superior on-field accomplishments.
Boasting three world cup wins and the title of defending Olympic champion, the lesser-paid women have assembled a notable record. Particularly when placed alongside the less than glamorous history of the USA men’s soccer program, who have failed to field a team beyond the quarter-finals since the first world cup in 1930.
Adding to their inquest, the women have also managed to excite the interest of fans. The world cup final matchup, between team USA and Japan in 2015 drew in over 26 million viewers and was recorded as the most-watched soccer game in the U.S. to date. Additionally, the U.S. Soccer Federation has estimated that the women’s program will pull in $17.6 million for the 27 matches to be played between April 2016 and March 2017. Meanwhile, the men are expected to generate $9 million for 12 matches over the same period.
The complaint, filed with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, aims to establish not only equality but also a sense of fairness, capturing the work and determination which has led their team to victory.