CNN
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Canada women’s national soccer team it’s turned off strike And training has resumed after the sport’s governing body Canada Soccer threatened legal action, the players said on February 11.
The day before, captain Christine Sinclair told Canada’s The Sports Network (TSN) that the team was going on strike following cuts to its schedule and pay equity concerns.
one in statement Posted on Twitter, the players’ association said that Canada Soccer deemed the strike “illegal”, and that players “cannot afford to risk that will create individual action against us by Canada Soccer,” as they “have yet to see any No compensation has been received” Our work for Canada Soccer in 2022.”
Canada Soccer said in its statement that it “respects the players’ right to organize” but that the players “were not and are not in a legal strike position under Ontario labor law.”
It added that it was “unwilling to jeopardize” the upcoming Shelves Cup, the team’s preparations for the Women’s World Cup in five months and the experiences of “countless fans”.
Canada, the defending women’s soccer Olympic champions, is scheduled to face the United States women’s national team (USWNT) in their first match of the SheBelieves Cup on 16 February.
“To Be Clear,” Sinclair Tweeted, “We are being forced to go back to work for the short term. It’s not over. We will keep fighting for everything we deserve and we will win. She believes she is being played in protest.
Both sides said representatives of the players’ association met with Canada Soccer for a meeting on Saturday.
Canada Soccer said it was committed to negotiating a comprehensive collective agreement with both the women’s and men’s national teams, which would be “a landmark deal that will deliver real change and pay equity.”
The players said in a February 10 statement that they had been in talks with Canada Soccer for more than a year and were now “ready to perform at a world-class level without the same level of support enjoyed by the men’s national team”. being asked for.” team in 2022.
The players’ statement said cuts had been made to training camps for the women’s team, as well as the number of invited players and staff and an already limited youth programme.
It added, “We expect and deserve to be treated equally and fairly and that our programs – and our World Cup preparations – are funded fairly.”
CNN reached out to Canada Soccer and Sport Canada for comment on Saturday, but had not received a response by the time of publication.