The Major League Baseball Players Association took an initial step toward forming minor league leagues Sunday night, sending out power of attorney cards that allow minor league players to vote for an election that could make them members of the MLBPA, union executive Tony Clark told ESPN Sunday night. .
Potential syndications of more than 5,000 minor leagues are the latest action in a years-long effort by players who won a $185 million settlement from the league in an unpaid class action lawsuit, obtained housing from teams and increased their salaries in recent years. Small-league players, whose compensation and benefits are not collectively bargained, continue to advocate higher salaries, which for the vast majority range from around $5,000 to $14,000. Furthermore, the Senate Judiciary Committee has suggested that it will call a hearing to explore MLB’s antitrust exemption and its treatment of junior linkers.
The Minor Leaguers, the group that has spent recent years organizing minor league players, is now working with the MLBPA, which negotiates collectively with the MLB on behalf of the 1,200 players on the major league rosters.
“The past few years have been a horde of players giving their voices and their concerns, with minor league defenders continuing to chant and aggregate those voices in a way that got us to this point,” Clark told ESPN.
In order for the MLBPA to represent the minor league in collective bargaining, 30% of players need to sign union authorization cards, which could lead to an election. If the majority of those voting in the election choose union representation, the National Labor Relations Board will require the MLB to recognize the union. Then, the league and the MLBPA will negotiate collectively with the minor leagues, an outcome that five years ago would have been recorded as far-fetched.
Player representatives in all minor league teams, organized by defenders through four coordinators to communicate with the players, will distribute voting cards to their teammates. Lawyers executive Harry Marino, who played in the minor leagues for the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Baltimore Orioles, said the union’s efforts accelerated during the 2021 and 2022 seasons as more minor league players showed interest.
“Now is the time because the league and minor league players have told us it’s time,” Marino told ESPN. “It’s this group of players at the minor league level that has driven this over the past two seasons, and the top league players have noticed and ultimately decided to take this step.”
MLB declined to comment Sunday night.
Several major league players told ESPN they were surprised by the news that the MLBPA is likely to expand its membership by about five times. The federation plans to hold a Zoom call on Monday to answer players’ questions.
“Major League players have a tremendous amount of power in this game,” Marino said. “Knowing that the top two leagues have their backs is what really makes the difference for the juniors of the junior league.”
Minor League players said conversations about union representation have shifted as more players have spoken out about their living conditions in private and public. Amid the growing momentum, the MLBPA has provided significant financial support, according to sources, committing $1 million in 2020 to organizations that provide support to minor leagues, including defenders and more than baseball. The donation paid the salaries of Marino and Kevin Slack, a former Democratic political activist who joined Advocates as Director of Communications and Development.
The treatment of minor league players has emerged as a main story in recent years with potential damages presented by Senne v. MLB League In addition to the stories of players who receive salaries below the poverty line and live in poor conditions. Although guilds exist as a possibility to address some of the issues, fear of risk has prevented players from organizing for a long time. Whether it’s concerns about teams ruining people’s careers or the difficulty of finding consistent leadership among an ever-changing audience, the obstacles have proven formidable.
Distributing union authorization cards will put at least part of that theory to the test. Several junior players said players are becoming more educated about their labor rights and how the MLB antitrust waiver affects their employment status.
“Baseball will be better for everyone, when the minor league players are sitting at the table,” Marino said.
Clarke expressed confidence in passing the vote for the MLBPA to represent the two minor leagues due to the feedback he’s received from players.
“Hearing the players and the concerns they have expressed in their interest in finding an official seat at the negotiating table gives me confidence,” Clark said. “The players always give me confidence.”
ESPN’s John Lee contributed to this report.