Canadian women end strike, citing threat of legal action from Canada Soccer

Facing the threat of legal action from Canada Soccer, the Canadian women's team has reluctantly agreed to return to training and play in the SheBelieves Cup.

The women's job action was short-lived — they only missed one day of training in Florida — but their labour dispute with their governing body is far from over. And the ill will has no doubt multiplied after emergency talks Saturday forced them back onto the pitch.

"To be clear. We are being forced back to work for the short term," Canada captain Christine Sinclair said on social media. "This is not over. We will continue to fight for everything we deserve and we will win. The SheBelieves is being played in protest."

In a statement, the women said Canada Soccer told them it considered their job action was an unlawful strike and would trigger legal action.

"They told us that if we did not return to work — and did not commit today to playing in Thursday's game against the United States — they 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 SheBelieves Cup as scheduled."

The women maintain that Canada Soccer's cuts to the national team programs are "unacceptable."

"We continue to believe that Canada Soccer needs to do more to support our programs and our players. And we continue to believe that unless we stand up together and demand more, nothing will ever change."

In a separate statement, 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."

Before Saturday's meeting with Canada Soccer general secretary Earl Cochrane and president Nick Bontis, Sinclair and other players said they could no longer represent the federation unless the issues around the national teams were resolved.