U.S. women’s soccer team looks to courts in pay dispute

Players for the World Cup champion women’s national team say mediation talks with the U.S. Soccer Federation in their dispute over equal pay are over.

Molly Levinson, who represents the players in matters concerning the dispute, said in a statement Wednesday that the players look forward to a jury trial.

“We entered this week’s mediation with representatives of USSF full of hope,” Levinson said. “Today we must conclude these meetings sorely disappointed in the federation’s determination to perpetuate fundamentally discriminatory workplace conditions and behaviour.”

U.S. Soccer said it had hoped to reach a resolution, but accused the counsel for the players of “an aggressive and ultimately unproductive approach.”

“We value our players, and have continually shown that, by providing them with compensation and support that exceeds any other women’s team in the world,” the federation’s statement said.

Federation president Carlos Cordeiro wrote U.S. Soccer members in late July claiming the women’s team was paid more overall than the men’s team between 2010 and 2018.

The letter stated that the federation paid out $34.1 million in salary and game bonuses to the women between 2010 and 2018 as opposed to $26.4 million paid to the men. The total did not include the value of benefits received only by the women, like health care, Cordeiro wrote. The players have disputed the figures, claiming they are misleading.