Reese Kaplan -- In Order to Form a More Perfect Union...

Once again it’s time to take a look at the plight of minor league ballplayers.  The legislation that the MLB owners successfully lobbied to get passed is certainly doing a good job of holding down the compensation to the players in the minor league pipeline.

For reference, a minor league player’s salary starts out capped at $1100 per month for the duration of the season.  How many of you reading this column today could meet your bills if for half the year you were earning less than $7000?

Now it does get somewhat better at the AAA level.  The salary minimum set by the owners through their lobbying efforts is $10,750 per year.  That’s a marginal improvement considering you’ve weeded out a great many players from short season rookie leagues up until one step prior to the majors.  For point of reference, someone earning the minimum wage of $7.25 per hour would earn over $15,000 for the year.  

Now hockey may be a religion in Canada but in the USA it’s almost an afterthought.  For years there wasn’t even major television coverage of the sport, yet the unionized minor league hockey player minimum salary by contrast is $47,500 per year.  Needless to say, a great many minor league baseball players are now interested in forming a coalition or formal labor union in order to fight for more equitable wages. 

Now the MLBPA (the union representing major league ballplayers) understands the situation but has taken the position that their job is to set up players who ascend to the big leagues for as much financial stability and success as possible.  They have yet to entertain any kind of formal proposal to unionize or assist the minor league players.  The fear is that if they pressure the owners to help improve the minor leaguers’ compensation then they will have to give up something they have fought to obtain for the major leaguers.

It’s also a difficult negotiating position because the major leaguers represent the top 600+ people in their profession with the best skills.  The minor leaguers, in particular in the rookie ball level, usually don’t make it up the ladder and there are tons of skilled players who would jump to have the chance they are receiving, including the full population of independent league players. 

The current agreement between the major league owners and minor league players ends in 2020 at which time a new set of governing rules should be expected.  The problem right now is that the owners could offer to increase salary while either decreasing the number of minor league teams (cutting jobs) or decreasing the bonuses paid when players initially sign.  In other words, they don’t want to dip into their own pockets at all.

The flip side is that the minor league players have been reaching out to labor professionals in such organizations as the United Steelworkers Union to get an education about what needs to be done to begin in earnest the prospect of unionizing.  Whether they go at it on their own or affiliate with an existing union such as ones covering ballpark suppliers, it’s a possibility that the owners must acknowledge and prepare to address.

This story doesn’t yet get any better, but it needs to remain top of mind for the benefit of all future ballplayers, many of whom live five to an apartment in order to manage costs given what little they are paid.