Tuesday, December 11, 2007

Solidarity

Marvin Miller built the Major League Baseball Players Association on solidarity.

Former Baseball Commissioner Fay Vincent showed some last week after Miller was passed over for induction into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

“Excluding Marvin is a travesty,” Vincent said. “I have no intention of being there (for the induction ceremony) next summer.”

Players should follow that lead and use the power of collective bargaining that Miller helped them gain.

A players’ boycott of the Hall of Fame induction ceremony would do more than just achieve a measure of justice for Miller. It would also serve to educate current players about the ongoing struggles of organized labor.

Baseball players need to understand that the MLBPA has improved their lives and that labor unions have improved the lives of every worker in this country. They also need to understand that the MLBPA – like all unions – needs to move forward and grow.

The Union needs to make a strong push to raise minimum salaries and trim the number of years that teams can control players before arbitration and free agency under the next Collective Bargaining Agreement. And they need to expand into the minor leagues to raise salaries and offer pensions and benefits to every player that signs a professional contract.

The Professional Baseball Players Association – representing players at every level – would be a fine monument to Miller’s work.

I’m sure he would gladly pass up the Hall of Fame to address the first rank-and-file meeting of the expanded Union.

“The key to our success,” he would say, “is solidarity.”

3 comments:

Pete said...

Once I said that I thought Bug Selig might have you wacked on opening day. Well, I take that back. After this column he’ll probably have you wacked in your sleep tonight. You want justice for all baseball players? Don’t you understand that could hurt profits? I mean the owners only earned SIX BILLION DOLLARS this year and you want some minor leaguer to be able to feed his family? What are you, boy, a commie? LOL.

Donna said...

Pete,
The owners actually made $6.075 billion. But what is an extra $75 million to multi-billionaires like Carl Pohlad.

Henry said...

The MLBPA should include minor league players. I’m surprised that hasn’t happened already.