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[MLBPA] The Major League Baseball Players Association has launched a campaign to unionize Minor League Players across the country (Full statement in the link)

  • August 29, 2022


[MLBPA] The Major League Baseball Players Association has launched a campaign to unionize Minor League Players across the country (Full statement in the link)

37 comments

  1. This is awesome and so long overdue. It has always troubled me that the PA cared so little about their minor league counterparts given that every single member of the PA knows firsthand what the conditions are like and how they impact the vast majority of minor leaguers.

  2. Is there aught we hold in common with the greedy parasite,

    Who would lash us into serfdom and would crush us with his might?

    Is there anything left to us but to organize and fight?

    For the union makes us strong.

  5. A little surprised they’re absorbing the Advocates group. I wonder if that shows confidence that they can get enough votes.

  6. Very cool to see that the Advocates for Minor Leaguers group are going to be officially working for the MLBPA, they’ve been doing great work and hopefully this means they can make a bigger unified effort toward getting minor league players unionized!

  8. This is a great move. Paying affiliated minor leaguers, both those with MLB potential and those needed to fill out the rosters, is not only the right thing to do, but will make baseball as a whole stronger in at least 2 ways:

    1. MiLB players will be able to afford to continue to work on their game in the off-season, raising the level of play for all.

    2. Kids from poor backgrounds, who don’t have the family support needed to make $500 a month (or so) to play baseball on the chance they might make it big someday and instead go off to do something else will eventually be able to develop their skills and talent. If it gets them to MLB the game is stronger, but if they don’t, they at least start on the next stage of life in a financially stable position.

  10. The owners are about to spend a lot of time and money clowning themselves with the roadblocks they try throwing up.

  11. Price of tickets and everything will go up but this 100% needs to happen, I’m not even a big union guy but I can see how this needs to happen

  14. This is fantastic news.

    But does the MLBPA really believe they are the most powerful union in professional sports? If that were remotely true, why do MLB players earn a lower percentage of league revenue than the NFL, NBA or NHL?

  18. Good! Cities across the nation subsidize ballparks to drive tourism dollars to city centers because people enjoy going to baseball games. The players should at least be paid a respectful amount as they are the main attraction.

  21. As someone who used to work and travel with Minor League ballplayers, this is needed so much more than you know.

  22. So are they going to rename the union because MLB PA implies that the minor league is not a part of the union and if they vote to unionize are they going to be called the union the professional baseball players association or PBPA

  24. I don’t support unions all the time in every instance, but this is one group of guys who should definitely unionize.

  25. I support this whole heartedly. I love minor league baseball. For those of us that don’t live in big baseball hubs but have our small local teams, this should mean a lot. I don’t want to watch a kid playing his heart out to make the bigs knowing he can’t afford three square meals a day. Everyone deserves to eat, and take that literally and figuratively.

  26. So is MLBPA expending to include minor leaguers or are they pushing for an MiLBPA?

    I know they can’t really do much until the minor leaguers declare that they want to unionize, but I’m wondering if they’ll partner with the MiLBPA or make the minor leaguers full members.

  27. Happy that they’re doing this. I’ll probably start siding with the union now!

  28. Long overdue. Hard for these guys to focus on improving their game when they’re stuck working a full time job, before their game, to make ends meet

  31. Wait, MiL Advocates resigning their positions to take up positions in the MLBPA… so does this read like minor league players will unionize *within* the MLBPA?

  32. Lol. Several people on here told me until they were red in the face that it would be illegal for the MLBPA to represent minor leaguers. One even called themselves a professional expert on the matter.

  33. So, back in high school, we had a JV coach whose “claim to fame” was that he was drafted by the Braves, but opted to stay home and work to support his family (his mom and sister) instead of playing “pro ball”.

    I was absolutely dumbfounded that someone would “pass up that kind of money” and work at a high school, instead.

    When I grew up, I found out how little minor league players were paid, and then it made sense. He had some good advice given and he took it.

  34. Teams won’t lose money — they’ll reallocate it. Guys like Miguel Cabrera will get 10 million less on their superdeals and the fact that the MLBPA pushed this is evidence they don’t care.

  35. So what happens with the international minor league teams (Canada, Dominican Republic)? Are they part of the process?

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