Skip to main content

On Eve of Women's World Cup, Equal Pay Takes Center Stage


As some readers might have heard, the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup starts tomorrow.  With that being said, equal pay has again become a focal point for many, as many of the soccer players have started to use their voices to make their discontent known.

Earlier this year, 28 team members of the U.S. Women's National Team filed a gender discrimination suit against the U.S Soccer Federation on the grounds that that the U.S. Soccer Federation was engaged in "institutionalized gender discrimination" against the women's team.  The U.S. Soccer Federation has argued that any pay discrepancies are a result of "differences in the aggregate revenue generated by different teams and/or any other factors other than sex."  That suit is currently tied up in litigation.

However, one particular member of the U.S. Women's National Team, Alex Morgan, has started to speak out further in support of equal pay among members of the Men's and Women's National Team.  (Morgan is a part of the suit against the U.S. Soccer Federation.)  Tracing the equal pay fight back decades when the Women's National Team used to fly in economy seats to Japan, stay in roach infested hotels, and take the hotel shuttle to soccer games, Morgan is continuing the fight for equality in the sport.  A few years ago, Morgan was a part of the Women's National Team that was set to play a game in Honolulu, but after protesting the poor field conditions, were able to get the U.S. Soccer Federation to cancel the game.  In fact, Morgan's advocacy does not stop with the pay level for players.  It has been reported that a former coach for the Men's National Team made $3.35 million in 2018 (after having been terminated in 2016), while the Women's National Team coach made $318,533 for 2018 (while still being the current coach.)  Morgan commented "It's devastating to see a male coach who hasn't been a coach of the men's team for more than two years still be paid significantly more than Jill [the Women's National Team coach], who has a World Cup title on her resume.  It's terrible."

It is worth noting that equal pay is not a concept isolated to just the U.S. Women's National Team.  Ahead of the World Cup, equal pay for England's and South Africa's women's teams have been a topic of conversation, though for different reasons.  One of England's players, Fran Kirby, spoke out recently and said England must first win the World Cup before they can start discussing equal pay with the men's team.  According to Kirby, the women's team needs to win and grow the game before they can start talking about equal pay.  On the other hand, for the first time, South Africa's women's team will earn the same amount of bonuses as the men's team at the upcoming World Cup.


For additional information on Alex Morgan's advocacy for equal pay for the U.S. Women's National Team:  http://time.com/5594356/alex-morgan-world-cup/?amp=true

For additional information on England's women's team:  https://in.mobile.reuters.com/article/amp/idINKCN1SV0AH


Comments

Popular posts from this blog

NLRB: Discussion Among Employees About Tip Pooling is Protected Concerted Activity

  This Advice Memorandum from the National Labor Relations Board’s Associate General Counsel, Jayme Sophir, addressed whether employees which discussed and complained about tip pooling at work constituted protected concerted activity. In relevant part, an employer in New York operated a chain of steakhouses.  While tip pooling was in place at these steakhouses, some of the employees objected to it on the grounds that it was not transparent and improperly divided tips among the workers.  Employees were told not to complain or talk to each other about the tip pool and were told that doing so would endanger their jobs.  Despite the employer later attempting to provide some clarity as to how the tips were being divided, rancor still existed among some employees.  At one point, the employees were told by a general manager that some employees that had been talking about the tip pool were “cleared out” and the employer would continue to do so. In the Advice Memorandum,...

Breaking: Labor Secretary Rumored to Be Leaving Administration

A few hours ago, word leaked out that Labor Secretary Marty Walsh (“Walsh”) is in the midst of negotiations to head up the NHL Players Union and leave his position at the Labor Department. Walsh, who has served as the sole Labor Secretary under President Biden, has taken part in a labor renaissance of sorts as support for organized labor has increased during his term as Labor Secretary (although the number of workers that have joined a union over the past two years has not grown as mush as some expected.)  He has also overseen the ongoing negotiations with rail workers over a new contract, although that matter is still on shaky ground and playing out as we speak. As for who might step into the vacant Labor Secretary role, there are already rumblings that President Biden should nominate Deputy Labor Secretary Julie Su (a strong labor advocate) or even a progressive like Senator Bernie Sanders.  Until Walsh officially gives his notice, however, I would expect some/many potential...

San Diego Rolls Back Vaccine Mandate For City Workers

Last Tuesday, the San Diego City Council voted to do away with the vaccine mandate for city employees. The city’s vaccine mandate that was in place required city workers to get the coronavirus vaccine or risk termination.  Perhaps to this surprise of no one, the city’s policy came under fire with 14 employees being terminated and over 100 other employees resigning.  With the coronavirus subsiding, including in Southern California, the San Diego City Council took action. Now, bear in mind, the repeal of the vaccine mandate does not take place immediately. With that being said, the mandate will be repealed March 8th.  I suppose the question now is, what other cities or regions follow San Diego’s lead? For additional information:   https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/politics/story/2023-01-24/san-diego-repeals-controversial-covid-19-vaccine-mandate-citing-drop-in-cases-hospitalizations