USWNT players file complaint with EEOC

In the charge, the players claim that even though the women’s team is the driving economic force for U.S. Soccer, its players are paid far less than their counterparts on the men’s national team. A statement the players and their attorney released said: “The numbers speak for themselves.  We are the best in the world, have three World Cup championships, four Olympic championships, and the U.S.M.N.T. get paid more to just show up than we get paid to win major championships.” According to the charge, the women receive as little as 40 percent of what players on the U.S. men’s national team earn – despite the women’s team greater successes. Despite the success of the women’s team, other factors such as revenue streams, viewership, game attendance and sponsorships, to name just a few, may explain away any perceived wage gaps. Although the filing, citing figures from the USSF’s 2015 financial report, says that despite the women’s team generating nearly $20 million more revenue last year than the U.S. men’s team. The players filing the complaint are some of the highest profile and most decorated: co-captains Carli Lloyd and Becky Sauerbrunn, forward Alex Morgan, midfielder Megan Rapinoe and goalkeeper Hope Solo, acting on behalf of the entire women’s team, saying they are all employees of U.S. Soccer through their national team contracts. The EEOC will conduct an investigation and determine if its findings warrant compensation to the U.S. women’s team.]]>