After a nearly two-week long labor dispute, the U.S. Women’s National Team will reportedly vote on a new deal with USA Hockey that would stop a planned boycott of the world championships, which begin Friday in Michigan.
USA Hockey and players for the U.S. women’s national team agreed Tuesday to a tentative deal to avert a boycott of the IIHF Women’s World Championship, a person with knowledge of the deal told USA TODAY Sports Tuesday.
The U.S. National Team players initially announced on March 15 that they would be boycotting until USA Hockey agreed to pay them a living wage and the same wages as men.
“I don’t know why in 2017 women have to fight for the same support, treatment and wages (as men) within the same organization, but that’s why our team is taking a stand,” captain Meghan Duggan, a two-time Olympian and member of six World Championship teams, told USA TODAY Sports.
Two days later, USA Hockey announced that it would not pay its players a living wage. However, the pressure greatly increased after that. The organization tried to find replacement players, but those players kept turning them down. They even reportedly reached out to Division III, rec league players and high school players, some of whom also turned them down. U.S. Men’s National team players also reportedly considered boycotting the world championships unless a resolution was reached, and a number of U.S. senators wrote to USA Hockey, encouraging them to provide the women’s team with equal pay.
The pressure seems to have worked, as it brought USA Hockey back to the negotiating table.
However, it’s not all gravy yet – the deal has hit a snag, though it’s about the language in the contract rather than the financial benefits in the contract itself.
Deal between USA Hockey and women's team has hit snag and may take some time to resolve. It's contract-language related, not money-related.
— Ken Campbell (@Ken_Campbell27) March 28, 2017
