No single-pay structure yet for men’s, women’s teams

The unions for the U.S. women’s and men’s national teams have not committed to agreeing to a single pay structure, the head of the U.S. Soccer Federation said in a letter to fans Tuesday.

The federation went public with its proposal in September and in November met jointly with the two unions, who under federal law are not obligated to reach similar collective bargaining agreements.

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“While we haven’t received a commitment from either union to move forward with a single pay structure, we have been encouraged that they are willing to join us in discussions about that possibility as we continue to negotiate separate CBAs with each for now,” federation President Cindy Parlow Cone wrote Tuesday.

“Additionally, we are still focused on taking the important step of equalizing FIFA World Cup prize money, and will not agree to any collective bargaining agreement that does not include that commitment from the two unions.

Becca Roux, executive director of the U.S. Women’s National Team Players Association, and Mark Levinstein, acting executive director and general counsel of the U.S. National Soccer Team Players Association, did not respond to emails seeking comment.

Parlow Cone, a former national team player, became USSF president in March 2020 when Carlos Cordeiro quit amid a backlash to the group’s lawyers filing legal papers claiming the women’s national team players had less physical ability and responsibility than their male counterparts. Cordeiro announced last week he is running to regain the job from Parlow Cone when the USSF’s national council meets in Atlanta on March 5.

Women’s team players sued the federation in March 2019 claiming they had not been paid equitably under the collective bargaining agreement that ran through December 2021, compared to what the men’s team receives under its agreement that…