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U.S. women to boycott World Championships over stalled wage negotiations (Updated)

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The U.S. Women's Hockey Team, reigning world champions and the 2017 host country, has announced intentions to boycott the World Championships unless better terms for fair wages and support are met by USA Hockey.

The U.S. women’s national team, which has won each of the last three World Hockey Championships, will not participate in this year’s tournament due to stalled negotiations with USA Hockey over fair wages and support.

This year’s tournament begins on March 31 in Plymouth, Michigan. The U.S. team was set to begin training camp on March 21 but, on Wednesday, informed USA Hockey they wouldn’t participate unless there was significant development in negotiations.

“We are asking for a living wage and for USA Hockey to fully support its programs for women and girls and stop treating us like an afterthought,” said captain Meghan Duggan, per ESPN. “We have represented our country with dignity and deserve to be treated with fairness and respect.”

More on the situation, from ESPN:

Half of the current team works second and third jobs just so they can continue to afford to play on the national team and represent their country.

“Out of a four-year cycle, USA Hockey pays for only six months out of an entire four years. They pay us $1,000 per month in those six months. So, for the other 42 months we don’t get paid at all by USA Hockey,” says Jocelyne Lamoureux-Davidson, a two-time Olympic silver medalist. “It is a full-time job and to not get paid is a financial burden and stress on the players, obviously.

“That is the conversation my husband and I are having right now. Is playing going to be more stress than we can handle? Sadly it becomes a decision between chasing your dream or giving in to the reality of the financial burden.”

The U.S. has won gold in six of the past eight world championships and has medaled in every Olympics, including winning gold in 1998. This is also the first time in four years the Worlds will be played on American soil.

UPDATE: USA Hockey has addressed the issue with the following statement...

“We acknowledge the players’ concerns and have proactively increased our level of direct support to the Women’s National Team as we prepare for the 2018 Winter Olympic Games,” said Dave Ogrean, executive director of USA Hockey. “We have communicated that increased level of support to the players’ representatives and look forward to continuing our discussions.”

The support USA Hockey is implementing in order to prepare the Women’s National Team for the 2018 Winter Olympic Games includes a six-month training camp, additional support stipends and incentives for medals that could result in each player receiving nearly $85,000 in cash over the Olympic training and performance period. The sum is in addition to a housing allowance, travel allowances, meal expenses, medical and disability insurance and the infrastructure that includes elite-level support staff to train and prepare the players.

USA Hockey has a long-standing commitment to the support, advancement and growth of girls and women’s hockey and any claims to the contrary are unfounded.

...

While USA Hockey is disappointed that players from the Women’s National Team program have said today they do not intend to participate in the upcoming IIHF Women’s World Championship unless their financial demands are met, USA Hockey remains committed to continuing dialogue and will field a competitive team for the upcoming 2017 IIHF Women’s World Championship in Plymouth, Michigan.

“In our role as the national governing body, USA Hockey trains and selects teams for international competition,” said Jim Smith, president of USA Hockey. “USA Hockey’s role is not to employ athletes and we will not do so. USA Hockey will continue to provide world-leading support for our athletes.”