Canadian women strike interim labour deal but say plenty more needs to be settled
CTV
The Canadian women's soccer team confirmed Friday it has reached an interim labour agreement with Canada Soccer covering compensation for 2023, including prize money from the ongoing FIFA Women's World Cup.
The Canadian women's soccer team confirmed Friday it has reached an interim labour agreement with Canada Soccer covering compensation for 2023, including prize money from the ongoing FIFA Women's World Cup.
But there was no celebration in announcing the deal, which was reached Monday, via a team statement on social media.
"As the extent of Canada Soccer's financial constraints have been revealed, we have been forced to choose between compensation and the funding required to hold necessary training camps," the statement read.
"We have been forced to choose between receiving a fair share of the rewards from our teams' successes at the World Cup and our commitment to equal pay and equal treatment with our men's national team. These are choices we should not have to make.
"We are deeply disappointed to find ourselves without a more complete agreement at this crucial stage in our calendar."
The interim deal ensures "at minimum" equal pay with the men's team, the statement said. But there are "many more important items" that still have to be settled, the women said.
"This isn't over. We and the men's national team remain committed to finding a long-term solution that provides for fair and equal treatment for our current national teams and investments in the future of Canadian soccer, but for now, our team just wants to focus on soccer."
