By Jillian Cammer
Canada’s soccer team is making international headlines – this time for their clothes.[1] Ahead of the SheBelieves Cup, the team is protesting pay inequality and unequal treatment with inside-out warmup shirts, flipping them to conceal the Canadian logo.[2] Not long ago, the team was making headlines for their showing in the Tokyo Olympics, in which they brought the gold back to Canada.[3] Later, in their opening game, the team chose to wear purple shirts conveying the words “enough is enough” before taking the field.[4]
The tension began earlier this year when Canada Soccer announced significant budget cuts to the national team’s program.[5] Responding on Twitter, the team argued that the cuts were just in time for the approaching Women’s World Cup – an obstacle the men’s team didn’t face in last year’s Men’s World Cup.[6] “Now that our World Cup is approaching, the Women’s National Team players are being told to prepare to perform at a world-class level without the same level of support that was received by the Men’s National Team in 2022…to simply make do with less.”[7] Reports show that Canada Soccer spent $11 million on the men’s team and $5.1 million on the women’s in 2021.[8]
As a result, the team had originally planned a strike for the upcoming SheBeleives Cup.[9] Threatened with reports of legal action, the players attended SheBeleives Cup amid the threat of monetary damages – albeit with a less-than-formal wardrobe.[10] The planned strike was met with scrutiny from Canada Soccer, who cited its illegality according to Ontario Labor Law.[11]
Without compensation for 2022, the women’s national team, represented by the Canadian Soccer Players Association Union, has been engaged in collective bargaining with Canada Soccer for over a year.[12] In Ontario, the parties negotiating under collective bargaining fall under the Labour Relations Act.[13] The law is clear that while under a collective bargaining agreement, strikes are unlawful.[14] However, this changes under the Act, where “No collective agreement is in operation, no employee shall strike…until the Minister has appointed a conciliation officer.”[15] The officer then may subjectively issue a “no board report” upon conclusion parties are not ready for a collective agreement.[16] Notably, the act also issues that “no employee shall threaten an unlawful strike.”[17]
Reportedly, the union requested a “no board report,” which, if issued, allowed for a 17-day countdown before the union may be in a legal position to strike.[18] However, no confirmation of issuance was reported before the players took to Twitter to retract the strike under threat of a lawsuit.[19]
The Men’s national team, as well as prominent American players such as Megan Rapinoe, have put out statements in support and pointed out Canada’s bid to co-host the 2026 Men’s World Cup, asking for the Minister of Sport to intervene.[20] “Treat your world-class players as world-class.”[21] Canada Soccer has since been asked to a meeting at the House of Commons Heritage Committee, which reviews, inter alia, policies surrounding sports initiatives and is made up of members of the sitting parliament who will make recommendations to the current government over these very allegations.[22]
As the legal dispute draws out, support for the team has been ramping up. “What do they have to do, win a gold medal? Sell out stadiums? Oh wait…It’s 2023, wake up @CanadaSoccerEn you’re on the clock.”[23] With protests developing and the option to strike still a contender for the future, time will tell who will emerge the champion in Canadian women’s soccer.
[1] Neil Davidson, Canadian Women Make Gender Equality Statement, CBC (Feb. 16 2023), https://www.cbc.ca/sports/soccer/canada-united-states-shebelieves-cup-labour-distractions-1.6751486.
[2] Id.
[3] Id.
[4] Id.
[5] Ameé Ruszkai, Canada Soccer Vs Canada Women’s Team: Strike Threats For SheBeleives Cup & Legal Dispute Explained, Goal (Feb. 16, 2023), https://www.goal.com/en-us/news/canada-soccer-vs-canada-women-strike-threats-shebelieves-cup-legal-dispute-explained/blt4d1b06c435d1f3d3.
[6] @PlayersCanadian, TWITTER (Feb. 10, 2023, 4:35 PM),
[7] Id.
[8] Neil Davidson, Liberal MP Wants To Expedite Having Canada Soccer Before Parliamentary Committee, CBC (Feb. 13, 2023), https://www.cbc.ca/sports/soccer/canada-soccer-women-liberal-mp-parliamentary-committee-1.6747190.
[9] Ruszkai, supra note 4.
[10] Id.
[11] Canada Soccer Statement, Canada Soccer (Feb. 11, 2023), https://www.canadasoccer.com/news/20230211-canada-soccer-statement/.
[12] Ruszkai, supra note 4.
[13] Labour Relationship Terms, Laurentian University Faculty Association, https://www.lufappul.ca/?page_id=186 (last visited Feb. 18, 2023).
[14] Labour Relations Act, 1995, S.O. 1995, c. 1, Sched. A.
[15] Id.
[16] Labour Relations Act, supra note 13; see also Collective Bargaining, Ontario, https://www.ontario.ca/page/collective-bargaining (last visited Feb. 18, 2023); Labour Relationship Terms, supra note 11.
[17] Labour Relations Act, supra note 13.
[18] Rick Westhead, Canada Soccer Threatens To Sue Players Over Job Action: Sources, TSN (Feb. 11, 2023), https://www.tsn.ca/soccer/canada-soccer-threatens-to-sue-players-over-job-action-sources-1.1918073.
[19] Ruszkai, supra note 4.
[20] See @rwesthead, Twitter (Feb. 10, 2023, 5:59 PM),
[21] Ruszkai, supra note 4.
[22] About: Standing Committee On Canadian Heritage, Parliament of Canada House of Commons, https://www.ourcommons.ca/Committees/en/CHPC/About (last visited Feb. 18, 2023); see also Neil Davidson, Liberal MP Wants To Expedite Having Canada Soccer Before Parliamentary Committee, CBC (Feb. 13, 2023), https://www.cbc.ca/sports/soccer/canada-soccer-women-liberal-mp-parliamentary-committee-1.6747190.
[23] @alexmorgan13, Twitter (Feb. 10, 2023, 5:07 PM), https://twitter.com/alexmorgan13/status/1624168203914993687?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1624168203914993687%7Ctwgr%5Ed453019bcbd7f70089d299b7841b45cfac5d3324%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.goal.com%2Fen-us%2Fnews%2Fcanada-soccer-vs-canada-women-strike-threats-shebelieves-cup-legal-dispute-explained%2Fblt4d1b06c435d1f3d3.