Fight will not stop, says soccer star Megan Rapinoe after dismissal of unequal pay claims

Two time World Cup winner and co-Captain of the National soccer team, Megan Rainoe, on Friday evening said that the fight against equal pay will not stop. Her statement comes after a federal judge dismissed the unequal pay claim by U.S. women's national soccer team.

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Rapinoe says women's team will not stop fighting

Soon after the verdict, Rapinoe in a tweet said that the women's team will not stop fighting for equality. 

Since 2016, the US women have been fighting for equality with their male counterparts and are seeking backpay totaling nearly $67 million. Twenty-eight players, including stars Alex Morgan and Megan Rapinoe, were part of the original suit filed against U.S. Soccer in March alleging institutionalized gender discrimination that includes inequitable compensation between the men’s and women’s teams. 

The federation has maintained that compensation for each team is the result of separate collective bargaining agreements and that the pay structures are different as a result. Men’s team players are paid largely by appearance and performance, while the contract for the women’s team includes provisions for health care and other benefits, as well as salaries in the National Women’s Soccer League.

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The players disputed U.S. Soccer’s claims that some of them made more than their male counterparts, maintaining that if men had been as successful as the women’s team, they would have earned far more. 

In a 32-page decision, U.S. District Judge R. Gary Klausner on Friday granted in part a motion for summary judgment by the U.S. Soccer Federation. He rejected the Equal Pay Act allegations but left intact the Civil Rights Act claims.

“The history of negotiations between the parties demonstrates that the WNT rejected an offer to be paid under the same pay-to-play structure as the MNT, and the WNT was willing to forgo higher bonuses for benefits, such as greater base compensation and the guarantee of a higher number of contracted players,” Klausner wrote.

“Accordingly, plaintiffs cannot now retroactively deem their CBA worse than the MNT CBA by reference to what they would have made had they been paid under the MNT’s pay-to-play terms structure when they themselves rejected such a structure,” he said.

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Molly Levinson, a spokeswoman for the players said that they are most likely to appeal the decision. “We are shocked and disappointed. We will not give up our hard work for equal pay. We are confident in our case and steadfast in our commitment to ensuring that girls and women who play this sport will not be valued as lesser just because of their gender.”

In February, the union representing the US men's team issued a statement in support of the women, accusing the United States Soccer Federation (USSF) of engaging in a "false narrative".

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