Hope Solo to object to U.S. Soccer equal pay deal
posted June 2, 2012 – 12:00 AM
With less than a month until the U.S. Women’s National Team takes the field on Sept. 6 in the Gold Cup final in San Diego, U.S. Soccer will announce today a new collective bargaining agreement that, for the first time, makes it possible for all of its teams to negotiate their salaries and the salaries of their players.
The agreement has been in the works for several months, but the time came when U.S. Soccer wanted to move beyond the status quo and make the difference between the women’s national team and its men’s counterparts that much smaller.
“It was a tough decision,” said USWNT Technical Director and Vice President of Player Programs Ann Mathers. “In the past, we had a lot of different salaries for players. With this agreement, all of the teams are in a position to make real progress for young female athletes and to be a leader in this area. We’re hoping we can take that opportunity to move beyond that status quo and to really build a stronger women’s soccer program and an even stronger women’s soccer market.”
The new agreement was reached at three separate meetings in Washington, D.C., on May 28, May 29 and June 3. The agreement is designed to provide stability for all of the women’s teams that compete internationally, regardless of which league they’re playing in, and it includes a pay-for-performance clause that would eliminate any salary discrepancies as soon as the World Cup begins this September.
“The U.S. Soccer Federation has led the world in the development of women’s soccer since 1950,” USWNT CEO Amanda Duffy said. “We are proud to have negotiated an agreement that will allow all of our teams to have a chance to compete at the highest level, while remaining within the salary cap of the CONCACAF Women’s League.