The U.S. Soccer Federation and the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team have settled a lawsuit over unequal working conditions, with both sides calling it a win. It also helps avoid a trial next year.
The settlement reportedly does not address past working conditions or include any financial compensation for players. Areas under consideration, some of which had already begun to be addressed, included:
- Staffing
- Travel plans
- Hotel accommodations
- Venue selection
An updated agreement on working conditions is expected to be part of the new collective bargaining agreements for both the women’s and men’s national teams — the women’s CBA runs through 2021 while the men’s expired in 2018.
Bigger picture: Tuesday’s settlement opens up a path to appealing the May ruling that dismissed most of the USWNT’s wage discrimination claims. In that decision, the judge dismissed the players’ complaint they were underpaid by U.S. Soccer compared to the men’s team.
Recent attempts to mediate the unequal pay complaint have led to unsavory results: the players have accused the federation of negotiating in bad faith, and the federation once accused the players of refusing to meet.
