Do women soccer stars deserve more pay? #tellusatoday
Five members of the U.S. women’s national soccer team filed a complaint last week over wage discrimination. Comments from Twitter are edited for clarity and grammar:
They’re better than the men’s team, and they should get equal pay.
— @garylk01
If they can draw the same audience as the men, then equal pay should happen; it’s all about the money they can bring in.
— @62jerseygirl
I doubt many people watch women’s soccer, so not as much pay. I agree with that.
— @NothappyMatt
Of course they deserve equal pay! They win! They draw huge crowds! They work just as hard! #equalplayequalpay
— @WL_yearbook
I watch only women’s soccer, so by my market standards, they should get paid more.
— @Megmo808
The same formula used to calculate men’s salaries should apply to women if it’s based on wins and revenue generation.
— @Lisibell_87
Letter to the editor:
I understand sports columnist Christine Brennan’s concern regarding the difference in pay between the U.S. men’s and women’s soccer teams. However, I believe she failed to provide the necessary details for us to determine whether there really is pay inequality (“Brennan: U.S. women's soccer team sends powerful message”).
She did not provide information such as how much revenue is generated by each team. How do we know if the payout is appropriate based on factors such as revenue?
We deserve all the facts in a story like this, so we can come to good decisions regarding the author’s subject.
Taylor Ramsey; Lakewood, Calif.
Comments from Facebook are edited for clarity and grammar:
This has to do with the revenue generated. If people all across the world were willing to pay more for watching women’s soccer, women would be better paid. But that is not the case. Even in the U.S., women’s soccer leagues struggle to stay afloat.
The Women’s World Cup doesn’t generate as much money as the men’s cup. This is not some social policy. Organized soccer is still a business.
— Laura Lopez
The U.S. Soccer Federation was expecting a budget deficit for fiscal year 2016. In part as a result of the women’s team’s success, in February the federation projected a $17.7 million operating surplus. It projects in fiscal year 2017 that the women’s team event budget will have a $5 million surplus, while it projects the men’s team will have a deficit. Two teams, same boss.
Clearly, the women’s national team players should make more than the men.
— Michelle LoweSolis
For more discussions, follow @USATOpinion or #tellusatoday.