Canadian women reluctantly return to training under protest
As promised, the Canadian women’s soccer team returned to training Sunday in Florida.
But they did so under protest after Canada Soccer threatened legal action if they continued their job action.
“We are being forced back to work for the next few weeks.” midfielder Quinn, who goes by one name, said on social media. “While stepping on a field continuing to provide labour for an organization that upholds gender inequality goes against every fibre of my being, I will continue to do so (for now) in protest.”
Added captain Christine Sinclair: “To be clear. We are being forced back to work for the short term. This is not over. We will continue to fight for everything we deserve and we will win. The She Believes (Cup) is being played in protest.”
The sixth-ranked Canadian women are scheduled to open the fourcountry tournament on Thursday against the top-ranked U.S. in Orlando.
The Canadian women boycotted training Saturday, saying they would not take the field unless Canada Soccer addressed their grievances. They were supported by the Canadian men, who refused to play a friendly against Panama in Vancouver last June over dissatisfaction with ongoing labour talks.
The women are demanding the same backing in preparing for this summer’s Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand that the men received last year before Qatar. And they want Canada Soccer to open its books.
Both teams are also upset at cuts to their program this year.
In a statement Saturday night, Canada Soccer said the players “were not and are not in a legal strike position under Ontario labour law.”
“Canada Soccer was not prepared to jeopardize the SheBelieves Cup tournament, the preparation it would afford the women’s national team for the upcoming World Cup, nor the experience it would afford countless fans who had undoubtedly travelled to Orlando to see their Olympic heroes,” it said.
The governing body said it took “the necessary steps” to ensure that such games will be played as scheduled.
“Canada Soccer has heard the women’s national team and has committed to a path to addressing each of the demands made by the players. But Canada Soccer knows that is not enough. There is still work to do.”
It said a labour settlement “once concluded, will be a historic deal that will deliver real change and pay equity in Canadian Soccer. It is a goal worth getting right.”
In a separate statement, the women said Canada Soccer told them if the job action continued it “would not only take legal action to force us back to the pitch, but would consider taking steps to collect what could be millions of dollars in damages from our Players’ Association and from each of the individual players currently in camp,” the women said.
“As individual players who have received no compensation yet for any of our work for Canada Soccer in 2022, we cannot afford the risks that personal action against us by Canada Soccer will create. Because of this, we have advised Canada Soccer that we will return to training (Sunday) and will play in the She Believes Cup as scheduled.”
Canada Soccer general secretary Earl Cochrane and president Nick Bontis held emergency talks with the team after Sinclair and other players said they could no longer represent the federation unless the issues around the national teams were resolved.
The governing body has repeatedly said that pay equity will be a pillar of the new deal.
That has not been the case in the past. In 2021, Canada Soccer spent $11 million on the men’s team and $5.1 million on the women. Sinclair notes some $2.5 million of that women’s funding came from Own The Podium, not Canada Soccer.
The men played 19 games that year, including 14 World Cup qualifiers. The women played 17 and won Olympic gold.
“We are not mad at the men’s team. They deserve what they get. They deserved to be treated how they were treated last year (a World Cup year). These teams deserve to have proper preparation for the biggest stage. We’re just asking for the same,” Sinclair said before Saturday’s meeting.
“The financial struggles of the CSA (Canadian Soccer Association) didn’t just happen overnight. People made decisions in recent years that have put us here. And it just constantly seems like it’s the women’s team that has to take the brunt of it.”