Get to Know AFL-CIO’s Affiliates: Professional Women’s Hockey League Players Association
This is the next post in our series that will take a deeper look at each of our affiliates. The series will run weekly until we’ve covered all 65 of our affiliates. Next up is the Professional Women’s Hockey League Players Association (PWHLPA).
Name of Union: Professional Women’s Hockey League Players Association
Mission: The PWHLPA strives to protect the rights and well-being of all PWHL players, on and off the ice. Led by the collective voice of the players and their interests, the union is committed to the advancement of the league and the opportunities it creates. Together the players aim to leave the game better than they found it for future generations.
Current Leadership of Union: Laura Stacey serves as president, Lee Stecklein serves as vice president, Savannah Harmon serves as treasurer, and Hayleigh Cudmore serves as secretary. Malaika Underwood serves as executive director. Each team elects a player representative.
Current Number of Members: 184 from the United States, Canada and Europe
Members Work As: Professional hockey players
Industries Represented: Professional sports
History: In 2019, players walked away from existing professional leagues and formed the precursor to their current union. Under the umbrella of that initial association, those players trained and organized their own competitions independently for multiple years. As part of that effort, they advocated for a viable, professional league with proper investment, resources, infrastructure and labor standards. They were not simply asking for opportunity. They were demanding sustainability and dignity. When the PWHLPA was ultimately established in 2023, the players brought with them years of collective action experience. They understood that if the PWHL was going to be a success, their voice must always be heard.
Before the first puck ever dropped, the players organized the PWHLPA and they negotiated and ratified a collective bargaining agreement (CBA), making the PWHL the first professional women’s sports league in North America to have a CBA in place before its inaugural game.
Current Campaigns/Community Efforts: The PWHLPA works to strengthen the future of professional women’s hockey through player advocacy, education and leadership. Current efforts include supporting professional standards across the league, certifying and regulating contract and marketing agents who work with PWHL players, and helping ensure players are equipped to make an impact both within their communities and across the sport.