They are not used to losing to football, but the players of the United States team, double world champions, felt on Friday 1er May, the bitter taste of defeat in their quest for equal pay with the men's team.
Their claim was dismissed in a summary judgment by judge Gary Klausner of the United States district court for central California in Los Angeles, who rejected the complainants' main argument of wage discrimination. However, it referred the complainants' complaints about unequal treatment in accommodation, travel and other areas to a later judgment. A trial is scheduled to begin on June 16.
Meanwhile, in terms of the main part of the case, it is a very heavy blow taken by the players of the national team, including the star of the team and feminist activist Megan Rapinoe, who fought for their cause for several years. The latter reacted on Twitter, with a single sentence reflecting their determination: "We will never stop fighting for EQUALITY. " Their spokesperson Molly Levinson said in a statement that the American players "Will appeal".
We will never stop fighting for EQUALITY.
A proposal rejected by the women's team
In his 32-page decision, the judge explained that the complainants refused an agreement which, he considers, would have allowed them to be paid fairly with the players of the National Men's Team:
"The history of negotiations between the parties shows that the female team rejected a proposal to be paid on the same principle as the male team, and that it preferred to give up higher premiums in exchange for other advantages , among which the higher basic remuneration and the guarantee of a larger number of players under contract. "
The players thus rejected in 2017 a proposal from the federation granting them 9,000 dollars per victory and 2,000 per draw, wages ranging from 70,000 to 90,000 dollars and 15 players under contract to reach a compromise granting them 8,500 dollars per victory, 1,750 dollars per draw but a salary of 100,000 dollars and 20 players under contract.
"Consequently, the complainants cannot now retroactively consider their collective agreement to be worse than that of the men's team, by referring to the conditions of remuneration which they themselves have rejected", concluded the judge.
Players of the American team, which dominate world football, having won four of the eight Women's World Cups, the last two of which were in 2015 and 2019, were claiming $ 66 million in back wages under the law on football. equal remuneration and the Civil Rights Act. They had established this amount on the basis of the disparities between the bonuses distributed by FIFA during the Men's and Women's World Cups.
12 times less
In 2014, the German world champions won $ 35 million (€ 31.6 million) for their coronation in Brazil, while the French won $ 38 million after triumphing in Russia in 2018. The champions of the world 2015 and 2019, for their part, collected a total of $ 6 million during the two tournaments, or 12 times less.
"We are shocked and disappointed with today's decision, but we will not give up our hard work for equal pay, responded their spokesperson. We have confidence in our record and are firm in our commitment to ensure that girls and women who practice this sport are not considered less important simply because of their gender. "
Initiated in March 2019, the legal action took a particularly acrimonious turn two months ago, when a file filed by lawyers of the federation made the argument that playing in the men's national team required a level higher skill, expressed in speed and strength, and assumed greater responsibility.
These words had aroused immediate and widespread indignation on the part of the players, including Megan Rapinoe who had accused her Federation of "Blatant sexism" in the case of the complainants, managers, sponsors such as Coca-Cola. The men's team’s record, which reached the World Cup semi-finals in 1930 and the quarterfinals in 2020 at best, is much poorer.
The president of the Federation Carlos Cordeiro had resigned. He was replaced by Vice President Cindy Parlow Cone, a former international player who immediately withdrew the unfortunate argument, in order to calm the situation.
