There has been a lot of back-and-forth between the USNWT and USA Hockey in the recent days. USA Hockey just released another press release, which the players have already torn to shreds, pointing out the falsehoods and misleading information it contains.
I've been keeping track of things on my tumblr in my 'team usa' tag.
Right now (March 18, Saturday), USA Hockey has back-pedaled on their desire to find replacement players. They want to sit down with the team on Monday (March 20) and continue negotiations. So far USA Hockey hasn't made any indicators that they're actually willing to budge in their position, so the negotiation may turn into repeat of the meetings they've been having for the past 18 months (which is what led to the boycott in the first place). The USNWT remains completely united, including the U-18 and U-22 players and they have all refused to bow to USA Hockey.
Well I am not concerned about whether or not they will be at the worlds. Of course they will be there. It would be hilarious if they weren't, considering the fact the World Championships are in the States this year. This is reminiscent of the time the Boston Blades forfeited two games as a result of a contract dispute with the CWHL. It got solved very quickly and the Blades continued their season. The dispute between US hockey and the National Team will get solved.
I think that there is some sort of stipend for the USNWT, but once again, the team does not receive anywhere near the support that a men's team would. It will be interesting to see how this ripples through other national programs in other countries. It will also be interesting to see how the IIHF and the IOC react to this. Once again Hilary Knight opens a can of worms to move the sport forward. She was at the centre of the Blades issue and once again, here she is right smack dab in the middle of a new controversy.
Apparently Hockey Canada pays players $900-$1500 per month (EVERY month) (the exact wage depends on whether they're on the senior or the development team). For 9 months leading up to the Olympics, they get paid even more.
For USA Hockey, the players are only paid $1,000 per month in the 6 months leading up to the Olympics. Some of that is paid by the US Olympic Committee and Hockey USA pays the rest. The other 3.5 years the players get paid nothing.
That's outrageous due to the inequality, but really - where I live I can't even pay rent with $1,000, so even the Canadian players aren't able to live on their wage.
According to what I've learned on Twitter today, Hockey Canada only paid those wages after a bunch of players sat down with Hockey Canada in 1998 (when the Olympics added women's hockey) and they came to an agreement. A committee was formed which includes players and Hockey Canada representatives and they meet to create budget proposals each year and discuss issues which the players are having. Then the committee takes their conclusions to Hockey Canada. Apparently the process works quite well.
As a a small aside, Brianne Jenner says that Team Canada is currently meeting with Hockey Canada regarding the upcoming Olympics.
I think Knight has been planning for this for a while, which might explain her attitude in the past few months. Like you said, she was the ringleader during the Blades strike and I have no doubt she was a big force in this.
I kind of hope Hockey USA calls their bluff and the team doesn't show for the Worlds. In the grand scheme of things, missing one Worlds Championship isn't such a big deal (USA missed the 2011 Worlds due to 9/11 and nobody remembers or cares about that), but the progress they could get for female athletes everywhere would make it worth it. That would be something that's certainly remembered.
Yes and no. Apparently the players do get $1,000 per month for 6 months in the run-up to Winter Olympics, but some of that money comes from the IOC. I'm not sure how much comes from USA Hockey. But the main point is that the athletes are expected to train for the other 3.5 years in preparation for the Olympics, plus participate in the Worlds every year and they aren't paid. Plus, that $1,000 a month is ridiculous anyway. Where I live, you can't even pay rent with that.
The whole '17 years' is coming from the fact that the women's World Championship started in 1999.
So far all of the potential replacement players who have been approached by USA Hockey have turned down the invitation to show up next Wednesday for a "try-out" session. All of the U-22 and U-18 players have turned them down, so the entire national program has said no. USA Hockey is now asking players who have been cut from the program years ago, along with players who haven't played since finishing college.
The players who have turned down USA Hockey have been posting their decision in tweets under the #BeBoldForChange hashtag.
There's a new piece in USA Today Sports, pointing out that if replacement players do decide to play, they would be in violation of the US Anti-Doping Agency protocols, since none of them have been tested regularly (which the national team players have been). Although the IIHF can bend the doping requirements in an emergency: 1. This isn't a real emergency, USA Hockey is only pretending it is because they're idiots and 2. It won't look good if the US is bending the drug testing rules for its own athletes. Other countries could rightfully file complaints. It's expected that Russia (which endured a huge doping scandal during the last Olympics) will have something to say about it if the IIHF allows USA Hockey to get away with having untested players play.
But the players say their case is about more than money. They want better job benefits for IIHF games -- equal to those given to their male counterparts.
The women want to be able to bring guests to competitions, fly in business class and get disability insurance.
USA Hockey said in a statement on Friday that those things cost too much.
The players' demands would result in total player compensation in an Olympic year of approximately $210,000 per player if the team attains a silver medal and $237,000 for a gold medal," the statement said.
That total includes "travel for a guest to every event and exhibition game."
USA Hockey said offering the women players "business class airfare on flights of more than three hours" would contribute to expenses of "more than $1.3 million."
Based on the player handbooks, the men were allowed to bring along a guest while competing in the world championship games. USA Hockey paid for their guests' transportation costs, and the guests were permitted to stay in the player's hotel room.
The guests were allowed to stay until the end of the championships and also received breakfast, game tickets and an apparel package.
Not only were the women not permitted a guest, they were forced to share a room with a teammate.
The men traveled to the IIHF games in business class while the women traveled in coach. On the return trip, the men could choose to travel with their guests in economy.
Another key difference?
USA Hockey paid for the disability insurance of players on the men's team but not for players on the women's team, according to the handbooks.
There has been a lot of back-and-forth between the USNWT and USA Hockey in the recent days. USA Hockey just released another press release, which the players have already torn to shreds, pointing out the falsehoods and misleading information it contains.
I've been keeping track of things on my tumblr in my 'team usa' tag.
Other good sources of information are Hannah Bevis' twitter and Kate Cimini's twitter, as well as the Ice Garden.
Right now (March 18, Saturday), USA Hockey has back-pedaled on their desire to find replacement players. They want to sit down with the team on Monday (March 20) and continue negotiations. So far USA Hockey hasn't made any indicators that they're actually willing to budge in their position, so the negotiation may turn into repeat of the meetings they've been having for the past 18 months (which is what led to the boycott in the first place). The USNWT remains completely united, including the U-18 and U-22 players and they have all refused to bow to USA Hockey.
Wow. I definitely did not see this coming. I'm really interested to see how this plays out going into an Olympic year.
Well I am not concerned about whether or not they will be at the worlds. Of course they will be there. It would be hilarious if they weren't, considering the fact the World Championships are in the States this year. This is reminiscent of the time the Boston Blades forfeited two games as a result of a contract dispute with the CWHL. It got solved very quickly and the Blades continued their season. The dispute between US hockey and the National Team will get solved. I think that there is some sort of stipend for the USNWT, but once again, the team does not receive anywhere near the support that a men's team would. It will be interesting to see how this ripples through other national programs in other countries. It will also be interesting to see how the IIHF and the IOC react to this. Once again Hilary Knight opens a can of worms to move the sport forward. She was at the centre of the Blades issue and once again, here she is right smack dab in the middle of a new controversy.
Apparently Hockey Canada pays players $900-$1500 per month (EVERY month) (the exact wage depends on whether they're on the senior or the development team). For 9 months leading up to the Olympics, they get paid even more.
For USA Hockey, the players are only paid $1,000 per month in the 6 months leading up to the Olympics. Some of that is paid by the US Olympic Committee and Hockey USA pays the rest. The other 3.5 years the players get paid nothing.
That's outrageous due to the inequality, but really - where I live I can't even pay rent with $1,000, so even the Canadian players aren't able to live on their wage.
According to what I've learned on Twitter today, Hockey Canada only paid those wages after a bunch of players sat down with Hockey Canada in 1998 (when the Olympics added women's hockey) and they came to an agreement. A committee was formed which includes players and Hockey Canada representatives and they meet to create budget proposals each year and discuss issues which the players are having. Then the committee takes their conclusions to Hockey Canada. Apparently the process works quite well.
As a a small aside, Brianne Jenner says that Team Canada is currently meeting with Hockey Canada regarding the upcoming Olympics.
I think Knight has been planning for this for a while, which might explain her attitude in the past few months. Like you said, she was the ringleader during the Blades strike and I have no doubt she was a big force in this.
I kind of hope Hockey USA calls their bluff and the team doesn't show for the Worlds. In the grand scheme of things, missing one Worlds Championship isn't such a big deal (USA missed the 2011 Worlds due to 9/11 and nobody remembers or cares about that), but the progress they could get for female athletes everywhere would make it worth it. That would be something that's certainly remembered.
O.....M.....G!! My jaw is on the floor. Good for them! I can't wait to see what happens!
I was just checking out twitter for more information and USA Hockey hasn't paid them for 17 years?
Yes and no. Apparently the players do get $1,000 per month for 6 months in the run-up to Winter Olympics, but some of that money comes from the IOC. I'm not sure how much comes from USA Hockey. But the main point is that the athletes are expected to train for the other 3.5 years in preparation for the Olympics, plus participate in the Worlds every year and they aren't paid. Plus, that $1,000 a month is ridiculous anyway. Where I live, you can't even pay rent with that.
The whole '17 years' is coming from the fact that the women's World Championship started in 1999.
So far all of the potential replacement players who have been approached by USA Hockey have turned down the invitation to show up next Wednesday for a "try-out" session. All of the U-22 and U-18 players have turned them down, so the entire national program has said no. USA Hockey is now asking players who have been cut from the program years ago, along with players who haven't played since finishing college.
The players who have turned down USA Hockey have been posting their decision in tweets under the #BeBoldForChange hashtag.
There's a new piece in USA Today Sports, pointing out that if replacement players do decide to play, they would be in violation of the US Anti-Doping Agency protocols, since none of them have been tested regularly (which the national team players have been). Although the IIHF can bend the doping requirements in an emergency: 1. This isn't a real emergency, USA Hockey is only pretending it is because they're idiots and 2. It won't look good if the US is bending the drug testing rules for its own athletes. Other countries could rightfully file complaints. It's expected that Russia (which endured a huge doping scandal during the last Olympics) will have something to say about it if the IIHF allows USA Hockey to get away with having untested players play.
Update (March 20): The USNWT and their lawyers met with USA Hockey today and apparently had a productive meeting.
CNN Piece
Click to view image letter that 14 us senators have sent tp usah