MLBPA supports U.S. women's hockey team amid wage dispute

The U.S. women's national hockey team has a powerful new ally.

Enter the Major League Baseball Players Association, which threw its support behind the boycotting female players' cause and issued a call to action Friday.

The #MLBPA continues to encourage ALL women hockey players to stand united in support of #USWNHT efforts to secure improved conditions... https://t.co/aAuTg42447

- #MLBPA (@MLB_PLAYERS) March 24, 2017

The U.S. women are threatening to sit out the upcoming World Championship unless significant progress is made in their ongoing negotiations with USA Hockey over what they consider to be unfair wages.

Related: U.S. women's hockey team shows solidarity with 1-word statements

America's governing body for hockey confirmed Thursday that it has begun contacting potential replacement players for the tournament, which begins next Friday.

USA Hockey has already postponed its training camp for the event, which was originally scheduled to open earlier in the week.

MLB has enjoyed relative labor peace since the 1994 players' strike that cancelled the World Series. The league has endured eight work stoppages since 1972, five of which were enacted by the union.

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