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Batter Up: Minor League Baseball Players Successfully Form Union


To call the recent movement by minor league baseball players to form a union one of the paramount labor developments in recent memory would be an understatement.

As many readers might be aware, Major League Baseball players have long enjoyed the benefits of having a union.  While that has led to labor issues (including lockouts and strikes over the years), it has also led to higher salaries, better benefits, and other related measures that might not have been so easily achieved without a union in place.  On the other hand, minor league baseball players have long been in the untenable position of being without a union and subjected to low pay, few benefits, and often unsavory work conditions.  While many minor leaguers have accepted this as the way it has always been, there had started to be rumblings over these players forming a union in recent years.

Those efforts ramped up in recent months with minor leaguers starting to get more vocal and aggressive in regard to their efforts to unionize.  In fact, last month, more than 50% of minor leaguers turned into union cards indicating their support for a union.  After an independent arbitrator recognized the more than 50% support, Major League Baseball took the unprecedented step of voluntarily recognizing the results and unionization effort.

What does that mean?  In short, the Major League Baseball Players Association (the union) will seek to negotiate a collective bargaining agreement with Major League Baseball and the owners.  Will this result in any tangible benefit to either side?  I would expect minor leaguers to push for higher pay which should be viewed as a win, regardless of what trade off is required to secure it.  (After all, the minimum salary is $400/week at the rookie level, $500/week at Class A, $600/week at Double A, and $700/week at Triple A.  Cost of living/moving expenses are often covered solely by minor leaguers, which can be difficult when many players are moved up and down the minor league system each season.)


For additional information:  https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2022/09/14/minor-league-baseball-union/

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