Strategic Compensation and Labour Relations Case Analysis:

    U.S. women's soccer team's wage discrimination lawsuit FIFA WOMEN'S WORLD CUP FINAL 2019

In 2019, twenty-eight members of the U.S. Women's National Team (USWNT) filed a gender discrimination lawsuit against the U.S. Soccer Federation. Players sued in March 2019 under the Equal Pay Act and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and they sought more than $66 million in damages. The main complaints from the players involve claims of wage discrimination. The petitioners pointed out that men's national team receives a $5,000 bonus for a loss in a friendly match, while women receive nothing for a loss or a draw. However, when the teams win, the men receive as much as $17,625, but women only receive $1,350. Further, in 2011, when the women placed second in their World Cup, they were awarded $1.8 million, split evenly among the 24 players on the team. The men's team made it only to the round of 16 that year; however, they were awarded $5 million. In 2014, when Germany won the Men's World Cup, the US team was awarded $35 million by FIFA, while the women received 5% of that for their Cup victory in 2015. Their claims affect not only their pay checks but also where they play and how often, how they train, the medical treatment and coaching they receive, and even how they travel to matches. In May 2020, U.S. District Judge R. Gary Klausner summarily dismissed the unequal pay portion of the lawsuit.

Check the following links for additional background information on this lawsuit and context: Judge Dismisses U.S. Women's Soccer Equal Pay Case - Here's Why (forbes.com) https://www.espn.com/soccer/united-states-usaw/story/4071258/uswnt-lawsuit-versus-us- soccer-explained-defining-the-pay-gapswhats-at-stake-for-both-sides

Question ; 

1. how will unionization help  to resolve the issues faced by US Women soccer  team in this case  Analysis 

2. What role will the union play if the women's soccer team were part of a union.

3. pros and cons of joining a union that will stand as an agent to  US women footballers facing the issues stated in the case above.

1. how will unionization help to resolve the issues faced by US Women soccer team in this case Analysis 
The unionization will help to resolve the issues faced by the US Women soccer team by,
a. Ensuring that the claims of the women soccer team are had by the respective law and necessary actions taken against the U.S Soccer Federation as a result of practicing illegal activities.
b. The unionization will also increase the bargaining power of US Women soccer team against the eyes of the laws which will increase their chances of getting justice from the courts.
c. The unionization will also enhance equal payment for both women and female soccer team through implementation of effective legal rights such Equal Pay Act that will eliminate the cases of wage discrimination among the US Women soccer team.
d. The unionization will also help to resolve the issues faced by US Women through increasing coordination and cooperation among the team members which will result to a competitive advantage for them to defend for their rights by working together as team 
2. What role will the union play if the women's soccer team were part of a union.
The role that the union will play if the US women's soccer team were part of the union include,
a. Negotiating for the US women soccer team and ensuring that they have a competitive advantage and bargaining power just like the US men soccer team within the country. This will ensure that there is equal treatment and elimination of wage discrimination.
b.  Designing effective complaints procedures which will be against the US Soccer Federation for practicing illegal activities. This will increase the chance of getting justices from the respective laws.
c.  The union will also ensure that the women soccer team is acquiring other benefits such as health care and extra bonus which are beneficial to their heath.
d. Implementation of workplace safety and policies which will ensure that the women are in a position to follow the required set rules regarding playing and other activities to prevent unhealth practices.

3. pros and cons of joining a union that will stand as an agent to US women footballers facing the issues stated in the case above.
The pros of joining a that will stand as an agent to US women footballers include,
a. The union will provide work protections by ensuring that the women footballers are treated with dignity, respect and cases of wage discrimination eliminated.
b. The union will lead to increased wages and better benefits due collective bargaining power of the union as compared to before.
c. The union will ensure that there is coordination and cooperation of all the US women footballers to defend their rights and duties within the country.
The cons of joining a that will stand as an agent to US women footballers include,
a. The union will require dues and fees which might be to costly for the US women footballers.
b. The union will discourage individuality where all the women footballers will bound to the decision of the union whether favorable or unfavorable.
c. The union will lead to increased costs since the women footballers have to pay the required fee to the union keep it running and for maintenance.