Women’s Group to US Hockey: Equal Pay for Equal Play
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 17, 2017
CONTACT: Brett Abrams | brett@unbendablemedia.com | (516) 841-1105
Women’s Group to US Hockey: Equal Pay for Equal Play
Yesterday, the U.S. Women’s Hockey Team announced that it will boycott the upcoming world championship tournament to protest unequal pay, unless clear steps are made toward settling a wage dispute with USA Hockey. The US Women’s Hockey Team are the defending World Champions after winning the gold medal last year.
In solidarity with the players, Shaunna Thomas, co-founder of UltraViolet, a leading women’s advocacy group, issued the following statement:
“The U.S. Women’s Hockey team is the best women’s hockey team in the world – having won six out of the past eight world championships – they have brought tremendous prestige to US hockey and inspired passion for sports in young women across the country. It is disgraceful that despite their unparalleled successes, these incredible athletes must work second or third jobs and depend on help from their families due USA hockey’s unwillingness to address these injustices.
“USA Hockey needs to listen to the players need and negotiate in good faith, rather than get out of paying the players equal pay by bringing on replacements. Our message to USA hockey is simple: take steps to negotiate with members of the U.S. women’s hockey team, and put an end to the empty promises.
“The US Women’s hockey team’s fight for equal pay speaks to the very real pay gap that still exists throughout this country – with women losing over $400,000 in earnings over a lifetime for the pay gap, and it’s double that for women of color.”
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