A new collective bargaining agreement is needed.
Major League Baseball’s regular season is nearing its end with the playoffs starting on October 5th. Once the playoffs end, there is no road map to the 2022 season as the owners and players need to negotiate a new collective bargaining agreement as the present one ends after the season. The owners more than likely will play hardball with the players and the players will do the same. After all both sides have one goal, make as much money as possible and that puts the two sides on a collision course. The usual off-season business will be on hold.
MLB owners figure to dig in as they have steamrolled their way in business in the past three years. In 2018, MLB owners got Congress to suppress minor league players’ salaries with a change to the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938. Baseball barons can pay players as little as $1,100 a month for four 40-hour or more monthly work weeks per the Save America’s Pastime Act. Minor League players no longer have minimum wage or overtime protections and there are no judicial recourses to reverse the decision. MLB owners can pay the players as little as possible. MLB wanted Arizona lawmakers in the 2019 in the spring training portion of the schedule to protect them against lawsuits for not paying minor leaguers. Keeping Minor League players’ salaries low was a main concern of Commissioner Rob Manfred and the 30 owners. MLB eliminated 42 minor league teams, mostly in the short season, summer entry leagues which saved the owners about $20 million annually. Minor League Baseball players have been demonstrating their disdain by wearing wristbands complaining about working conditions and speaking out. MLB owners really don’t want to invest money in research and development or the game anymore. MLB owners just care about money.
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