Canada Soccer threatens to sue female players if they go on strike

A day after players in Canada’s women’s national soccer team said they were going on strike over pay equity issues and budget cuts, Canada Soccer has threatened to sue the Canadian Soccer Players’ Association (CPSA) and the players who are attending a team camp in Florida.

The players preparing for the upcoming SheBelieves Cup in Orlando, Florida, had said on Friday, February 10, that they were taking job action due to budget cuts, equal pay issues, and an overall lack of support from Canada Soccer.

TSN however reported that Canada Soccer threatened to file a lawsuit on Saturday, February 11, hours before the group’s president Nick Bontis and general secretary Earl Cochrane were scheduled to meet with team player representatives.

The legal threat ratchets up the tension between the governing body for soccer in Canada and members of the national team, who are scheduled to play in the SheBelieves Cup next week and in the Women’s World Cup in five months.

The players association requested a “no board report” from a government-appointed conciliator on Tuesday. The document, which was filed with the Ontario Minister of Labour, indicates a deal can’t be reached with Canada Soccer in its negotiations for a collective bargaining agreement for 2023.

Canada will be playing the United States in the SheBelieves Cup on February 16, but it is unclear if the match will go on as planned.