In what could mark a major change for minor league players and also for Junior Baseball, the Major League Baseball Players Association has sent out authorization cards to all major league baseball players. minor league players on Sunday night, in which junior athletes were asked to vote on designating the MLBPA as their collective bargaining representative. First ESPN’s Joon Lee report that the card was sent, and then MLBPA executive Tony Clark confirmed with ESPN that the initial steps were taken by the MLBPA. The Athletic’s Evan Drellich also took a long look at the problem. The MLBPA has since officially announced, through a press release, an effort to unite the league’s minor players.
In the event that 30 percent of minors sign their authorization card, the card will be presented to the National Labor Relations Board as a means of demonstrating substantial interest to the union. At that point, an election will be held between the minor league players and if it is necessary for 50 percent of the players to vote to officially form their federation, the NLRB will then require The Junior Baseball League recognizes the union. However, that election will follow the NLRB’s administrative process and can take months to conduct.
In an email to the player’s agents, Clark cited “poor wages, oppressive reserve rules, improper discipline, consistently expanding off-season obligations, misappropriation of intellectual property. Intelligence, unwarranted concern for the health and safety of players and the occasional lack of respect for minors in leagues in general” are key factors for minor league players to weigh in. prompt when deciding whether to provide their authorization.
Clark’s email also included various financial data on recent minor league revenue, including $864 million in total revenue from the 2019 (pre-Covid-19) season; the recent sale of a majority stake in the Sacramento River Cats (the Giants’ Triple-A club) and their stadium for more than 90 million dollars; and the fact that most minor league salaries, from $4,800 annually in Rookie ball to about $15,400 annually in Triple-A, check the poverty level, as defined by The federal government. Those salary figures are in the direct contract with the MLB commissioner Recent Affirmations by Rob Manfred that he “rejects” the notion “that minor players are not paid a living wage.”
Consolidating the minor leagues would be a big deal for the MLBPA, which so far has only about 1,200 players on the Major League’s 40-man roster at a given time. Expanding the union ranks to include minor leagues would more than quadruple the number of members entering the existing pool, creating logistical challenges and creating the potential for conflicts of interest among members. More senior of the group and new people added. However, there are certainly a large number of existing MLBPA members who support the expansion and addition of Major League players; Recent retirees (and former MLBPA executive subcommittee members) Andrew Miller and Chris Iannetta were among those who sent messages to new retirees along with Clark’s, Drellich noted.
The steps towards consolidation come after a class action settlement that saw the Government League Baseball League 185 million dollar payment with over 20,000 players, stemming from a controversy over whether those players should be compensated for Spring Training. Major League Baseball’s antitrust immunity is once again under the microscope, as bipartisan members of the Senate Judiciary Committee in late June call for re-examination Judgment has existed for centuries.
Major League Baseball has taken steps in recent years to improve conditions for younger track and field athletes, most notably requiring teams to provide housing for their minor league players. . Of course, many of those changes only came after MLB gutted the minor leagues, eliminating 42 minor league clubs for the 2020-21 season.
The MLBPA worked with Advocates For Minor Leaguers, an advocacy group whose mission statement outlines the need to establish “fair pay and fair treatment” for minor league players.
Advocates CEO Harry Marino told ESPN: “The baseball game is better for everyone when the younger athletes have a seat at the table.
As part of a joint initiative between the MLBPA and Juvenile Advocates, Clark and Marino announced this morning that “Each member of the Juvenile Advocacy Board has resigned to ensure accepted a new role working for the MLBPA.”
Clark said in a statement Monday morning: “Minor Leaguers represent the future of our game and deserve the right pay and working conditions for elite athletes who help entertain. to millions of baseball fans across the country.” “They are an important part of our brotherhood and we want to help them achieve their goals both on and off the pitch.”
