Image courtesy of pinterest.com By Addie Reardon
Staff Writer The U.S Women's Soccer team have been fighting in a campaign against the inequality in the payment of the women's professional teams with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the federal agency that enforces equal pay law. "The women's team does the identical work as the men's team, except they have outperformed in every way," said Jeffrey Kessler, a lawyer who represents the women. Kessler said the women are paid between 28% and 62% less than men, depending on the kind of match (CNN). The women would earn $99,000 each if they won 20 friendlies, the minimum number they are required to play in a year. But the men would likely earn $263,320 each for the same feat, and would get $100,000 even if they lost all 20 games.women get paid nothing for playing more than 20 games, while the men get between $5,000 and $17,625 for each game played beyond 20.(ESPN). "You can argue that based on their success, they're entitled to even higher pay, but the law only requires at least equal pay," Kessler said. "That just makes the case for equal pay all the more compelling." The men's team earned $9 million in the 2014 World Cup for losing in the round of 16, while the women made $2 million when they won the 2015 championship(CNN). "We are the best in the world, have three World Cup championships, four Olympic championships, and the [men] get paid more to just show up than we get paid to win major championships," Solo said. (NYT) The women's team generating nearly $20 million more revenue last year than the U.S. men's team, the women are paid about a quarter of what the men earn. (ESPN). The Men's side have been very supportive. Especially the US men's goalkeeper Tim Howard. "We understand their position. What I would say is if they feel they are unjustly underpaid then without question, absolutely they should be unified and they should fight for their rights," Howard told CNN Thursday. Kessler added, "The reality is that this team is more valuable to the USSF than the men's team has been. That's what the facts show. And they would be justified in asking for more than the men are receiving. But the first step that they are seeking is equal treatment. That should be an easy step for the USSF to take"(ESPN). The EEOC will now investigate the complaint and try to reach an agreement with the soccer federation. If it can't, it can file an enforcement action. The whole world is watching to see how this situation turns out. (CNN). Comments are closed.
|
LJHSLakeridge Junior High School is an award- winning academic institution located in Lake Oswego, Oregon. Archives
October 2018
Categories |