Two of professional hockey’s North American players’ associations—the National Hockey League Players’ Association (NHLPA) and the Professional Hockey Players’ Association (PHPA)—announced Feb. 3 they are formally affiliating with the AFL-CIO and joining its Sports Council.
The NHLPA represents approximately 750 professional hockey players across 32 teams in the NHL, while the PHPA represents approximately 1,800 professional hockey players across 61 teams in the American Hockey League and the ECHL. Their membership brings the total number of unions under the nation’s largest labor federation to 63, representing more than 15 million workers.
The AFL-CIO Sports Council was formed in 2022 to build power across unions in the sports industry, amplify the voices of athletes and shine a light on the challenges they face as workers. It includes the NFL Players Association (NFLPA), the NWSL Players Association (NWSLPA), the USL Players Association-CWA (USLPA-CWA), the Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA), the Major League Soccer Players Association (MLSPA) and the Women’s National Basketball Players Association (WNBPA).
