Canada Soccer and national team players move closer to long-awaited labour deal

TORONTO — Canada Soccer has reached a "framework" for a long-awaited labour agreement with its men's and women's national teams.

But the deal is contingent on a reworked deal with Canadian Soccer Business, whose investor group and board includes the Canadian Premier League owners. CSB looks after marketing and broadcast rights for both Canada Soccer and the CPL, now in its sixth season.

"I am pleased to report that Canada Soccer and the players’ associations representing both senior national teams have reached alignment on a framework for a collective bargaining agreement covering the period from June 1, 2024, through Dec. 31, 2027," Kevin Blue, Canada Soccer's CEO and general secretary, said in a statement Monday. "The framework is equitable across both programs and improves overall financial circumstances for Canada Soccer."

The players have complained the CSB agreement is holding the game back and preventing national teams from getting the preparation they need.

Canada Soccer is believed to receive some $4 million a year currently under the deal as "the beneficiary of a rights fee guarantee." That amount has been boosted by some $500,000 each year leading up to the 2026 World Cup.

"A critical step to finalizing a CBA is a revision to the Canadian Soccer Business deal that will be more favourable to Canada Soccer and will put it on a firm financial footing going forward," Blue said. "The new CBA framework is contingent on such a revision to the CSB deal.

"Canada Soccer’s leadership and CSB are in active discussions on a restructured deal, and we are hopeful we will arrive at a positive conclusion soon."

Blue said the players have been "true partners throughout the negotiations."

"They have made meaningful concessions to help put Canada Soccer in a better position to fund other important priorities more effectively," he said.

Asked earlier in the day about the labour situation, Canada men's coach Jesse Marsch confirmed progress had been made.

"There seems to be a real strong alignment right now between the women's team, the men's team and (Canada Soccer)," he told a virtual availability from Texas, where his team faces Mexico on Tuesday. "And I think they're really close to finalizing or aligned with everything for a CBA.

"I think everybody's really excited about the possibility of continuing — and hopeful that we find an agreement with the CSB — so that we can put all of this together for a great agreement for everyone. And then really move together all in one direction in the sport."

Marsch credited the men's team for making "some sacrifices, because they know how important this moment in 2026 (when Canada co-hosts the World Cup) is for the country."

The Canadian Soccer Players' Association, which represents the Canadian women's team, has filed a $40-million lawsuit against 15 current and former board members of Canada Soccer, alleging "negligence and breach of fiduciary duty" over the CSB contract.

The women’s previous labour deal expired at the end of 2021. While they had previously reached an interim labour agreement with Canada Soccer, that deal was tied to the men's negotiations given the pay equity provisions of the deal.

The sixth-ranked Canadian women formed their players’ association in 2016.

The 40th-ranked men are negotiating their first formal agreement in the wake of forming their own players association, the Canada Men’s National Soccer Team Players Association, in the summer of 2022.

The lengthy, acrimonious labour dispute has seen job action in the past and — in addition to the women's lawsuit — prompted the resignation of former Canada Soccer president Nick Bontis and job action by both teams.

The men boycotted a World Cup warm-up against Panama in Vancouver in June 2022 while the women briefly refused to train at the SheBelieves Cup in early 2024 before reluctantly returning to the field after Canada Soccer threatened legal action.

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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 9, 2024

Neil Davidson, The Canadian Press