The US Soccer Federation said on Wednesday that the men’s and women’s national soccer teams will earn equal compensation in a landmark collective bargaining deal, thesportsbay.com reports.
US Women National Team players ended a six-year legal battle with their federation over equal pay, agreeing to a deal worth $24m (£17.7m) plus bonuses to match the terms of the men.
The US Soccer Federation and the women’s team announced the deal Tuesday, which will see the players receive $22m, around a third of the figure they had originally sought.
US Soccer also agreed to establish a fund with $2m to benefit the players in their post-soccer careers and charitable efforts aimed at growing the sport for women.
US Soccer committed to providing an equal rate of pay for the women’s and men’s national teams including World Cup bonuses, subject to collective bargaining agreements with the unions that separately represent the women and men.
USA Women have won four World Cups since 1985, while the men have not reached a semi-final since 1930.
Five American stars led by Alex Morgan and Megan Rapinoe began the challenge with a complaint to the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in April 2016.
They sued three years later, seeking damages under the federal Equal Pay Act and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act.
The sides settled the working conditions portion in December 2020, dealing with issues such as charter flights, accommodations and playing surfaces. They were scheduled to argue on March 7 before the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in an attempt to reinstate the equal pay portion thrown out by a U.S. District Court.
“This is a truly historic moment. These agreements have changed the game forever here in the United States and have the potential to change the game around the world,” said US Soccer president Cindy Parlow Cone.
