The USWNT has reached an agreement with The United States Soccer Federation for equal working conditions

The U.S Women’s National Soccer team has gained ground in their fight for equality against U.S Soccer Federation. 

The U.S Women’s National Team (USWNT) has been fighting for equal pay and working conditions to their male counterparts. The fight has been going on for some time now, beginning in March of 2019, the USWNT was looking for equal conditions and amenities as well as equal pay. On Wednesday they won half that battle. The U.S Soccer Federation came to an agreement with the team to provide equal working conditions to the men’s U.S team. Unfortunately, the issue of equal pay is still unresolved.

Equal working conditions can engulf many things. Some of the comparisons are things like hotel accommodations, chartered flights, and improved venues which were of much concern. Many of the USWNT games were being played on turf, which is very dangerous for the players. This new agreement will allow for the new venues to be full grass, not turf.

While all these improvements are good for the growth of women’s soccer, the issue of equal pay should still be on the table. This agreement seems like a way to get the issue dropped, to appease the team in a sense, but the USWNT has no intentions of letting that important issue rest.

“We remain as committed as ever to our work to achieve the equal pay that we legally deserve,” Molly Levinson, a spokeswoman for the USWNT players said in a statement (via CNN.com). “Our focus is on the future and ensuring we leave the game a better place for the next generation of women who will play for this team and this country.”

The original lawsuit filed by the USWNT was dismissed by a judge on the grounds that the team played more games and subsequently made more money. The judge also claimed that the USWNT was offered the same deal as the men but turned it down. This claim was rebutted by the team and publically so by star forward Megan Rapinoe.

The fight for equal pay among the sexes in U.S soccer will continue

Cindy Parlow Cone, who is the U.S Soccer president and a former USWNT player, spoke to the press following the agreement of equal working conditions. In this conference call, she says the USWNT was offered the same deal as the men’s team and that the women’s team was looking for 65 million dollars in back pay to make up for FIFA World Cup prize money. According to Cone, this would “bankrupt the federation.”

Although this equal working conditions agreement is a step in the right direction, the USWNT deserves equal pay as well. The USWNT has seen far more success in recent years than the USMNT, and may even be leading in the popularity department as well.