U.S. Women’s Soccer Team Slams Federation’s Equal Pay Offer As A ‘PR Stunt’

The United States Women’s National Team Players Association (USWNTPA) is dismissing the U.S. Soccer Federation’s offer of equal pay for its men’s and women’s team as being a publicity stunt.

USWNTPA Shoots Down Offer

The USWNTPA has been battling the USSF for equal pay since 2019, when the women’s team filed a lawsuit against the federation for gender discrimination. On Tuesday, the USSF announced its latest offer, but the USWNTPA was not having any of it.

“USSF’s PR stunts and bargaining through the media will not bring us any closer to a fair agreement,’ the USWNTPA posted 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.”

Megan Rapinoe Speaks Out

Megan Rapinoe, who fancies herself to be the Colin Kaepernick of the women’s soccer world, has been leading the charge in her team’s battle for equal pay.

“If we were under the men’s contract, we would be making three times more,” Rapinoe said after the lawsuit was filed, according to Daily Mail.

“Basically it’s like if I earn $1 every time I play and I man earns $3,” she added before using a theoretical example. “[If I] win ten games and he only wins three games… I make $10 and he made $9.”

Related: Megan Rapinoe’s Claims About Pay Discrimination Don’t Match The Facts

Alex Morgan Gives Her Thoughts

Soccer star Alex Morgan spoke out on Wednesday to say that she is cautiously “optimistic” that a solution can be found here. 

“We still need to chat about the statement given by U.S. Soccer. But any commitment to equal pay publicly is good,” Morgan said, according to ESPN. “However, we need to look line by line at what they’re actually providing, because if you have equal but it’s not even what we got before, or to the value that we are, then we still consider that to be not good enough.”

“We will continue to work with U.S. Soccer moving forward, looking towards equal and fair payment and treatment,” she added. “We don’t want to start the new year without a new CBA in effect, so that’s the number one priority of our PA, of our legal team. Looking at the [USSF] statements, it’s difficult to say, we want to feel encouraged and we want to be optimistic, but we have seen a lot of statements before.”

Related: Megan Rapinoe Is Livid When Judge Throws Out US Women’s Soccer Team’s Equal Pay Claim

Morgan Wants Action

Morgan went on to say that her team wants action to be taken. 

“What we really want to do is see what we can do at the negotiation table, see those statements be put into action in those negotiations,” Morgan concluded. “So of course we’re always hopeful. Under the new proposal put forward by the USSF, it said it also wouldn’t agree to a CBA with either team that didn’t take the important step of equalizing FIFA World Cup prize money.”

It remains to be seen whether or not an agreement can be reached her that is acceptable to all parties involved.