Source: Mark Kolbe / Getty
After all the winning the U.S. women’s national soccer team does, they’re finally getting the bag.
The U.S. soccer federation has reached an agreement to pay its men’s and women’s teams equally, making America the first country to level the playing field, according to ESPN. On Wednesday after years of back and forth negotiation the federation announced through two collective bargaining agreements alongside the unions of both team to ensure equal paychecks through December 2028.
The women’s team has been extremely successful and rivaling the winningness of the men’s team, but the pay didn’t reflect but now the ladies are finally getting what they’re truly worth.
“I feel a lot of pride for the girls who are going to see this growing up, and recognize their value rather than having to fight for it. However, my dad always told me that you don’t get rewarded for doing what you’re supposed to do — and paying men and women equally is what you’re supposed to do,” U.S. forward Margaret Purce said. “So I’m not giving out any gold stars, but I’m grateful for this accomplishment and for all the people who came together to make it so.”
Both teams’ CBAs have expired as the men have been adhering to one that expired in 2018 and the ladies’ expire in March.
For a look at the vast difference in pay, look no further than the difference in bonuses each team would get upon winning the World Cup. In the 2019 World Cup, the women won and received a $110,000 bonus, and while the men lost in 2018, they would have received $407,000.
Hopefully, the new agreements will set a precedent for other countries to do the same.
“We saw it as an opportunity, an opportunity to be leaders in this front and join in with the women’s side and U.S. Soccer. So we’re just excited that this is how we were able to get the deal done,” said Walker Zimmerman, a defender on the men’s U.S. National Team and a member of the Players Association leadership group.
The women’s team will see a 34% bump from $245,000 to $327,000 with a proposal to double the women’s prize money to a total of $60 million.
