Did Phil Murphy Pay Soccer Players Less Than $15/Hour?
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Governor Phil Murphy
Phil Murphy ran on a $15 per hour minimum wage, yet basic math, simple logic and league rules suggest our governor didn’t practice what he preached when it came to paying women soccer players.
Not only is it likely Murphy paid players less than the equivalent of $15 per hour last season, it likely happened every year he was an owner until this season.
Before raising its salary cap for the 2018 season the minimum salary for players in 2017 was $15,000 per season. The season is about 6 months. Common sense says at least one player was paid the league minimum.
A person making $15/hour working 40 hours would make $600/week or $31,200/year. That person working for 6 months would make $15,600. Obviously, any player paid the league minimum before the 2018 season made less than a $15/hour employee.
RJ Allen at Backline Soccer wrote a piece that used basic math to explain that it was likely five players on a team were paid the league minimum of $15,000:
“It’s much more likely most players are making between $15,000 and $20,000 a season. To fit under the $315,000 cap, five players could be making about $20,000, while eight players make $17,500, and the remaining five players make the league minimum of $15,000.”
In 2016 the minimum salary was $7,200 and the maximum was $37,800. In 2015 the league minimum was $6,842. And, in the “inaugural National Women’s Soccer League season, league executive director Cheryl Bailey said players’ salaries will range from $6,000-$30,000.”
Since, according to Backline Soccer the NWSL doesn’t allow contract details with salaries to become public, it’s impossible to say for certain that Murphy paid players what amounts to less than $15/hour last season, but logic says it is highly likely.
Hopefully, some enterprising reporter will ask Governor Murphy about this when he gets back from his vacation.
