Baseball has long enjoyed popularity in America. As one of the top five sports in the country, it’s widely watched and played – so it may come as a surprise to learn that minor league players have only just become unionized.
Having voted to join the Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA), they can now look forward to several important perks, from improved working conditions and wage packets to better legal representation in court.
We look at what this means for players and the sport.
The lowest-paid sports stars in America
In America, baseball – at all levels – has a huge following. As this infographic shows, it’s the fourth most widely streamed sport in the country, with a notable increase in audience figures since 2017. People watch countrywide, with many Google searches performed by those looking to catch a game online.
However, not all its stars are as well paid as you might imagine. In fact, the wage packets of some would horrify you. Average salaries can be as low as $10,000 per year - and that’s for those who play a full season.
For older professionals who are tossed out in favor of teenage prospects, they may not even make that, ending up unemployed and cast out of a sport they’ve dedicated their entire working lives to.
Luckily, their futures are now set to improve markedly, and that’s all thanks to them joining the MLBPA. After more than a century of being left out in the cold, minor league players have officially become part of a union dedicated to representing their interests.
The point of unions is to better the lives of workers, and they undoubtedly deserve this. While their major league counterparts flourish, securing astronomical wages and long-lasting careers as sports personalities, conditions in the minor league have continued to worsen in recent years.
An overwhelming vote in favor
So, what are the circumstances that have driven this victory and ensured an overwhelming vote in favor? There have been several recent gains by players that have shown the validity of their cause.
Firstly, Major League Baseball agreed to supply players with housing, rather than leaving them to secure their own. There was also a federal lawsuit brought by minor league workers, showing minimum wage laws were frequently ignored. The result was a $185 million settlement split between 23,000 players.
These decisions spurred many minor league individuals to join and push for unionization, which was awarded 17 days after they first began to organize. Certainly, their cause is undeniably worthy, with players having long dealt with conditions that would be considered unacceptable in any other industry or field. Imagine, for example, expecting teachers or doctors or shop workers to slog away for a mere $10,000 a year.
Now, they’ll no longer have to. It’s a historic day for the sport and one that fans around the world should celebrate. After all, it’s hard to continue enjoying something once you’ve spotted its dirty underbelly and the exploitation of men who are the beating heart of it. Today though, baseball, give yourself a very big pat on the back for taking such a positive step forward.
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