Professional Women’s Hockey League Players Association Joins the AFL-CIO

The Professional Women’s Hockey League Players Association (PWHLPA) announced this week it is formally affiliating with the AFL-CIO. The PWHLPA became the 10th professional sports union to join the AFL-CIO Sports Council and the 65th affiliate of the nation’s largest labor federation, a milestone in the fight for equity in women’s sports and fair treatment of all athlete workers.

The PWHLPA represents 184 professional hockey players across eight teams in the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL), 61 of whom just competed in the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics, including the gold and silver medal-winning U.S. and Canadian teams. The union’s affiliation with the AFL-CIO comes as interest in women’s hockey is reaching historic growth in the United States, with athletes driving record ticket sales.

“Our members know there is power in a union,” said Malaika Underwood, executive director of the PWHLPA. “That is why they organized to form the Players Association and negotiated a collective bargaining agreement before the first puck dropped in the PWHL. It is also why we are proud to join the AFL-CIO and its Sports Council today. We look forward to continuing the fight for the rights, fair pay, and the safety of our members as part of this historic labor federation, and to standing alongside our fellow unions to ensure all workers, including PWHL players, are treated with the dignity and respect they deserve.” Read more here!