PLAYERS for the World Cup champion women’s national team say mediation talks with the U.S. Soccer Federation (USSF) over equal pay are over.

Molly Levinson, who represents the players in matters concerning the dispute, said in a statement Wednesday that the players look forward to a jury trial.

“We entered this week’s mediation with representatives of USSF full of hope,” Levinson said. “Today we must conclude these meetings sorely disappointed in the federation’s determination to perpetuate fundamentally discriminatory workplace conditions and behavior.”

U.S. Soccer said it had hoped to reach a resolution, but accused the counsel for the players of “an aggressive and ultimately unproductive approach.”

“We value our players, and have continually shown that, by providing them with compensation and support that exceeds any other women’s team in the world,” the federation’s statement said.

The players sued U.S. Soccer in March, charging institutionalized gender discrimination that includes inequitable compensation when compared with their counterparts on the men’s national team.

The federation countered that pay and benefits for members of the men’s and women’s teams, bargained by separate unions, can’t be compared and said there was no basis for allegations of illegal conduct.

(SD-Agencies)