Women's Soccer Compensation

[Vic]

Thought I'd create a catch-all thread for anything related to the evolution of professional women's soccer contracts, funding and compensation around the world.

To kick it off here's a link and some quotes from Gordon Taylor on the current situation and standoff in the UK. As the Professional Footballers Association head, Taylor represents all professional male and female players in England and Wales. The union has 4,000 members.

Players' union chief Gordon Taylor has branded the Football Association's £18,000 ($27,363)-a-year contract offer to England's top women players as "embarrassing".

On the advice of the Professional Footballers' Association, Hope Powell's squad have opted not to sign their central contracts as Taylor looks to sort out a wrangle over how much time players are able to devote to second jobs in order to supplement their incomes.

It is amazing such arguments are taking place in a sport where top men's players sometimes earn more in a day than their female counterparts get in a year. "Come on. That figure is embarrassing. Top Premier League players are earning more in a day."

"Basically, these girls are having to commit themselves to England on a full-time basis," he said.

"One player is training to be a lawyer and instead of two years to qualify, it is going to take four.

"When you consider the progress the women's game has made in recent years, and in these days of equality, it is not doing any of us any credit that negotiations have reached an impasse over sums like this."

http://sport.msn.co.nz/sportnews/soccer/8591058/england-women-deserve-better-contracts

EDIT: for a 24-player roster, each of the 17 non-national players on teams in the USA's NWSL this year will average $11,765. Payment details for national players have not been released from either the USA, Mexico or Canada.

[alberta white]

What suprised me was that the FA were looking to go down the Central contract route, which I know they use in the Cricket. This is a new departure in English Pro soccer as Collective bargaining is almost unheard of.

Okay, number. National average UK wage is between £20-25K, but thats a bit of a skew due to London weighting and erm... Professional sports stars wages registered in the UK. Currently A realative of mine has been Laid off so is looking for CNC timber band Machinist work which comands anything between £8 to £12 per hour.

So I would probably say that 18K to kick a ball about is not all that bad. I'm sure some of the Boys in Div 2 would love to have that as a basic wage.

I'm assuming that the FA contract is additional too whatever the Players clubs are (or are not) paying them.

Imterlectual properyrights will be the other thing to note. Kelly Smith gets a lot of coverage, and does a fair bit of Media, but that might be individual rather than collective.

Bear in mind that Women players are young, many will be looking to college/ Uni (non of which carry NA style sports scholarships) others may be able to use the downtown to persue other income streams.

I would wager that anyone trying to study Architecture whist trying to play full time soccer is indeed a Crazy S.O.B and by Implication....IS a goalkeeper

I would say that Taylors comparissons to EPL players is a bit missleading and fails to take into account (or rather choses not to acknowledge) "Economic Rent". Frank Lampard Wayne Rooney etc, get their 5 figue weekly wages from their clubs because they are part of a squad responsible for Putting 40K in he stadium week in week out (plus the merchendise and other Club paraphinalia they put on offer). In most cases, whilst the new womens structure is now 'bolted on to a stable Club frame work, the womens team are looking to crowds of 100-2000 on a good day.

Still, for the FA to be proactive enough to offer central contracts does make me think that the Olympic dividend is been activley mined the Association. Watch out for a flood of FA womens Merchendise on Ebay by mid July!

[Vic]

Good point about London. The cost of living there compared to some places in the north is pretty extreme. You certainly can't live in London on 18k sterling.

Division 2 is the 4th playing tier in England. In the third tier players average $135,000. Taylor also isn't talking about the league, he's talking about the top 18 athletes who wear the three lions on their shirt.

In his article the journalist covered economic rent but mentioned the women had better attendance in their Olympic playoff than the men. Not week in and out but still relevant.

Taylor's point is when our best 18 women are eating soup we have failed them and are falling behind and will not improve or win a World Cup.

The sticking point in the negotiations isn't the money, it's the terms, and specifically a disagreement on the issue of opportunities for secondary employment.

"Negotiations between the PFA and FA centre around the additional 24 hours players are allowed to work each week in addition to players' central contracts and money they receive on a semi-professional basis from their clubs."

But Lincoln centre-back [sophie] Bradley, who supplements her income by working in a Nottinghamshire care home run by her father, says training demands for club and country mean that few employers will allow players the flexibility they need. In addition to club training sessions, England players are expected to train twice a day, six days a week in the build-up to the new season starting in March.

What they're saying is the demands are full-time and the wages are part-time and it's no way to run a program.

[CoachRich]

So true for the CANWNT program too "What they're saying is the demands are full-time and the wages are part-time and it's no way to run a program."

[alberta white]

I think Vic hits the nail right on the head here,

"In his article the journalist covered economic rent but mentioned the women had better attendance in their Olympic playoff than the men. Not week in and out but still relevant. "

Probably Bbcause the womans game is received by the general public as semi-amature (not amaturish) in the UK, the Idea of a womans GB team carries more traction than that of the Individual home nations. Also, the British view womens Olympic football as on Par with, if not more important than, the World Cup. and it was a competion been staged at home. Worth noting that theEuros, when Played inEengland drew half decent crowds as well.

The FA have to promote the National side in order for the trickle down of support to club football to take effect. One thing going for the game in England is that it has an extensive club structure on which to base itself (note that 90% of the WSL and the Divison below it are form under the banners of EPL and football League clubs). The other is that georaphically most clubs are within a days road travel of each other.

I wonder how the Formation of a touring British Lionesses side, similar to the RU's British Lions would be view by other member nations of FIFA? I'm sure that a GB v Canada/ USA/ Mexico tour would pull in a fair few Punters this side of the Atlantic. Canada back at Wembly would probably get at least a 50% turnout.

As for the attendence for the Men? Well, the feeling towards a GB team On all sides of the Home Nations' Football borders is still one that considers its a Plot by FIFA to essentially destroy IFAB. Unlike Canada which goes nuts for it World Junior side, there has never that kind of support for Junior sports teams, ands at its heart the Men Olympic soccer tournament is a U23 event that, on any other cycle is irrelevant in Britain.

[Vic]

I'd love to see Dublin and Glasgow in the WSL.

The general popularity of women's football in England has it's own trajectory that's tied to culture in general, but the FA can definitely take steps to help it along (and which is why they exist in the first place). However the path and success of their women's team is something they're completely accountable and responsible for. The players are saying you're either going to have to pull back on the funding or demands, your choice. Seems fair.

[alberta white]

I'd love to see Dublin and Glasgow in the WSL.

The general popularity of women's football in England has it's own trajectory that's tied to culture in general, but the FA can definitely take steps to help it along (and which is why they exist in the first place). However the path and success of their women's team is something they're completely accountable and responsible for. The players are saying you're either going to have to pull back on the funding or demands, your choice. Seems fair.

To me the wage should be set at the national average but with scope for apperance fees and Media. also a cut of FA merchandise. all game to be played at wembly, with a retirement fund gleened from the gate receipts.

Still they have come along way from the 1970's. When the womens game was still effectivley banned by the FA.

Also, some may not know that Sports Scholarships do not exist in UK Universities, so the only NACAA type players in the UK will be those who came across the pond.

How does the CANWNT stack up next to this finacial package?

[Vic]

Women's soccer players live for the game and love representing their country and because of it have historically been taken for granted in many countries. So all the power to them for availing themselves of the collective bargaining units at their disposal. Without it, they're wage slaves.

The average wage in the UK is £26,500 or about $40k CDN (link below).

A very good question on how we stack up. Women's funding in Canada isn't transparent like in the UK and from the shards of information released it's been pretty non-linear. When you consider most of the funding comes from the public via taxes and registration fees, it's disappointing there isn't a higher degree of visibility.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-20442666

[CoachRich]

England women footballers secure central contract increase to take them up to £20K or $32K. That compares to our women's $18K in AAP funding from Sports Canada.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/21010984

"Players are said to be satisfied with the deal, with their central contracts rising from £16,000 to £20,000 a year.The new package, set to be confirmed in the next few days, also increases the number of hours players can work in secondary jobs to 24 a week."

What our players need to do is have www.thepfa.com represent them as the players should have a basic CBA for NT duties plus a section for those in the NWSL as well.

[alberta white]

England women footballers secure central contract increase to take them up to £20K or $32K. That compares to our women's $18K in AAP funding from Sports Canada.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/21010984

"Players are said to be satisfied with the deal, with their central contracts rising from £16,000 to £20,000 a year.The new package, set to be confirmed in the next few days, also increases the number of hours players can work in secondary jobs to 24 a week."

What our players need to do is have www.thepfa.com represent them as the players should have a basic CBA for NT duties plus a section for those in the NWSL as well.

I sure Peter Taylor would welcome the work, and the union fees:D

[Vic]

In the UK case they seemed to focus on commitment requirements and it would be interesting to see how we compare. The English FA definitely has immeasurably more financial resources than the CSA, so it would be negotiation from there involving the players. Looking at the pool of money available and deciding if that means less time or less compensation per hour/day/week for that time.

Another question is should 18 players be collective bargaining the wages of a female soccer player in Canada? Not the worst approach but their interests would be somewhat vested short-term into their condition, just as the associations would be to optimize their portfolio. The third missing piece that would add value to the negotiation would be representation from a party responsible for the interests of the long-term development and growth of women's soccer in Canada. That could well be the players or the CSA, but in the event that neither is in tune to it, having a group keep them honest would help ensure a good result.

[CoachRich]

Commitment comparison would be really interesting especially when our players live in such a huge country that require a ton of travelling and res camps all over the place.

I too believe there is a need for a 3rd party "group keep them honest would help ensure a good result." There are many women's NT's out there that have central contracts or better still a CBA.

The USWNT have had CBA's for decades and they run for the 4 year Olympic cycle. Those CBA's have no influence on what non NT players make in leagues as the NT CBA is seperate from the league. Hence same should be for our players. I think the NSO's role and how they are bank rolling the NT players in the new NWSL is a good move for now.

Although the USWNT have a huge dollar war chest they are still probably the most similar to our players in commitments and development pathways. Sadly the MO for the CSA historically with the CANWNT players has been trust us with your time and compensation or in the last little while a seasonal contract.

Looking at how the COC is paying the majority of the CANWNT these days and providing extra prize monies, it might be best to see them handle the extra funding needed to get the players into a liveable program and up to the standard of the other top nations.

Going to be interesting to see what the CSA comes up with for the CANWNT players as they can't stop or blackball a player from going overseas to develop and earn more money.

[alberta white]

.Another question is should 18 players be collective bargaining the wages of a female soccer player in Canada? .

I understand this comment is made in regards tpo the FA's agreement with its Central contracted players. In this case I would assume that It has no contractural bearing on how the rest of the clubs conduct their affairs with regards to their players remunerations. English soccer has no collective bargaining agreements, As the leagues do not control the monies associated with the operation of the teams. In general the union's MO is to look after players interest on a personal basis, Its up to the Player and his/her agent to work out personal wages.

This CBA with the WNT squad is an exception, rather than the rule in the UK. so I'm not sure how it affects the players remuneration when it comes to their Club duties.

[CoachRich]

^

A CBA doesn't have to be about how much a player with an agent is going to earn but it can be about how the contract is structured with other standard agreements or conditions ie; medical care, ticket revenue sharing, tv revenue sharing, merchandise revenue sharing, pension & etc. The NHL is a good example of a pro league with a CBA yet all players and their agents negotiate with their team for their wages. Reading ThePFA site, it looks to me that they fulfill a similar role to the players of the Premier League, the Football League and the Football Association much in the same way the the NHLPA does for NHL players. Further, ThePFA also negotiated a CBA for the women players of the FA Women's Super League which is probably why the National Team ended up with a CBA too.

[StrandOne]

... should 18 players be collective bargaining the wages of a female soccer player in Canada? Not the worst approach but their interests would be somewhat vested short-term into their condition, just as the associations would be to optimize their portfolio.

Players that have been on the WNT for the past 10+ years have better long-term vision than you give them credit for.

[Vic]

I'm sure they are Ingrid but that doesn't mean introducing another party to the negotiations isn't a better design.

[StrandOne]

Mediators have been effective in successfully navigating negotiations, for centuries. I didn't take issue with that part of your idea / statement, Vic.

[CoachRich]

There were several questions about how the CSA was going to be papering the canwnt players in the NWSL that the boys at CSN where going to ask months ago. I'm wondering if the CSN has gotten any answers as yet or if they are hitting the usual black rubber wall?

Biggest concern besides how the players are going to be funded is what sort of medical, health and injury insurance they are going to have. We know that Sports Canada doesn't cover carded athletes in non-sanctioned NT events. Sadly the Sarah Burke fatal accident reminded us of that

http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/02/01/10291483-why-are-fans-paying-medical-bills-for-world-class-skier-sarah-burke?lite

I really hope everyone gets professional about what needs to be done to cover players for events outside of their wages package. Much like the NHLPA pro and national players that commited to their sport the majority of their time need to be properly compensated and have a good benefits package.

[CoachRich]

Seems the USWNT along with the CANWNT have yet to get their contracts finalized with their NSO.

US women’s national team still without CBA

The Equalizer

Jeff Kassouf

March 4, 2013

http://equalizersoccer.com/2013/03/04/united-states-womens-national-soccer-team-collective-bargaining-agreement-cba-negotiations/

Preseason starts March 11 for National Women’s Soccer League teams, but the cornerstones of the league – US women’s national team players – are still without a collective bargaining agreement (CBA).

The US Soccer Federation and the US Women’s National Soccer Team Players’ Association (USWNSTPA) are yet to come to an agreement after the previous deal, ratified in 2006, expired at the end of 2012.

USWNSTPA lawyer John B. Langel says he is “in regular contact with Sunil (Gulati, US Soccer president)” and hopes the two parties can reach an agreement soon.

“We’d like to get it done yesterday,” Langel said via telephone on Friday evening. “We’ve got an NWSL season that they want to get started, so we’d like to get it done before then.”