SAN FRANCISCO — Austin Slater, the Giants’ representative with the MLB Players Association, was enthusiastic Monday about this week’s potentially groundbreaking labor development, when the union began a push to include long overlooked minor-league players.
“I think it’s a great step in the right direction,” said Slater, who was one of 30 player reps to vote in a Zoom meeting on Friday to support bringing in minor leaguers under the bargaining umbrella of the powerful MLBPA.
With the support of the MLBPA, which has collectively bargained on behalf of major-league players since 1968, an email went out late Sunday night to all players on minor-league contracts that officially opened the unionization drive.
If 30% of the estimated 5,000 to 6,500 minor leaguers in the U.S. sign authorization cards, that would permit the MLBPA to represent them and file the union authorization election request with the National Labor Relations Board.
A majority vote in that election would create a separate bargaining unit for minor-league players within the MLBPA.
If approved, it would mark a momentous win in the movement to improve working conditions for minor leaguers.
While the average major league salary is above $4 million, players with minor league contracts earn as little as $400 a week during the six-month season. MLB raised weekly minimum salaries for minor leaguers in 2021 to $400 at rookie and short-season levels, $500 at Class A, $600 at Double-A and $700 at Triple-A.
The U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee has also threatened to investigate MLB’s antitrust exemption, which has allowed the league to cap minor-league wages since it was created in 1922, and players recently won a $185 million class-action lawsuit over unpaid wages.
In addition, MLB this year began requiring teams to provide housing for most minor leaguers.
“We were all minor leaguers at some point and understand the challenges and the difficulties that come with rising through the ranks,” Slater said. “I just think a lot of these issues are coming to light and it made sense for them to be organized and to have one voice pulling them all in the same direction.”
Slater, embracing his growing role inside the union, said he was involved in the planning stages before opening up the process to all 30 player reps in Friday’s meeting. Before taking a vote, Friday’s discussion revolved around “logistics on what our role was, what we needed to do to help, and whether we wanted to do that,” Slater said. “A lot of it is financial aid and a lot of it is just helping them get their feet off the ground and from there letting them do their thing.”
A Stanford graduate, Slater was voted the Giants’ player rep before the 2020 season and led the team’s players through the lockout that began this season and said he could “talk all day” about labor issues facing the sport.
“I think these are important issues that need to be talked about and discussed and bargained for,” Slater said. “It’s been a great learning experience. I think taking on that leadership role is something that I’ve grown to really appreciate. Anytime you deal with a large group of people, there can be some headaches involved. There’s time and effort, things that I don’t mind giving at all.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Source: www.mercurynews.com