LTA Work Of Art

CNN correspondents Wayne Sterling and Jack Bantock reveal this to the public.

US Soccer and the United States Women’s National Team (USWNT) have reached an agreement to end a dispute over equal pay, according to a joint statement released on Tuesday evening.

The dispute dates back to March 2019 when the USWNT filed a gender discrimination lawsuit against US Soccer.

The agreement will see the women’s and men’s national teams receive an equal rate of pay in all friendlies and tournaments, including the World Cup.

Tuesday’s joint statement said, “We are pleased to announce that, contingent on the negotiation of a new collective bargaining agreement, we will have resolved our longstanding dispute over equal pay and proudly stand together in a shared commitment to advancing equality in soccer.”

As part of the agreement, US Soccer will pay $22 million to the players in the case as well as an “additional $2 million into an account to benefit the USWNT players in their post-career goals and charitable efforts related to women’s and girls’ soccer.”

The settlement is contingent upon the ratification of a new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) for the USWNT.

Getting to this day has not been easy,” the statement said. “The U.S. Women’s National Team players have achieved unprecedented success while working to achieve equal pay for themselves and future athletes.

“Today, we recognize the legacy of the past USWNT leaders who helped to make this day possible, as well as all of the women and girls who will follow. Together, we dedicate this moment to them.

“We look forward to continuing to work together to grow women’s soccer and advance opportunities for young girls and women in the United States and across the globe.”

The two time World Cup winners Megan Rapinoe and Alex Morgan — along with US Soccer President Cindy Parlow Cone — examined on the landmark agreement on CBS Mornings.

“It’s a little bit surreal to be honest,” Rapinoe said. “We’ve been in this for a long time and coming from a long history of women that have fought to put this sport in a better place.

“The thing I look forward to and I’m really proud of is that justice comes in the next generation never having to go through what we went through — it’s equal pay across the board from here on out.

“I’m looking forward to continuing to grow the sport and to have this be a moment we look back on that signals a new US Soccer we can all be extremely proud of.”
Megan Rapinoe: Our fight for equal pay is for the next generation
Rapinoe said that the long-term effects of the agreement could lead to even greater success for the national team.

• “The biggest piece of the legacy that us of this generation can take is that the players coming up next will have a much better ability to just play,” Rapinoe said.

• “With that comes them probably being better than we ever were, that’s the goal.”
• Morgan added that a big aspect of the settlement was moving towards “mending” the team’s relationship with US Soccer.

“This is a huge step, and mending that relationship with US Soccer is also a big piece of that,” Morgan said.

“We feel very comfortable and happy and proud with the moment that we’ve got to right now because it is a huge win for us, for women’s sport, for women in general — and it’s a moment we can all celebrate right now.”

WFMI…