High
Point University
MLB
and MLBPA Reach New 5-Year Labor Contract Deal
Extends
Peace between Players and Owners to 26 Years
Kyle
Langdon
Sport
Management SMG 1010-02
Professor
Lukow
December
1, 2016
The
article that I am writing about is how the MLB and MLBPA have reached a new
deal involving labor contracts between the players and owners. This contract marks the first time the two
groups have agreed on a contract deal since the infamous MLB strike of
1994-95. Major League Baseball fans all around
North America are rejoicing in the fact that they will not be sitting through
another baseball strike over the summer.
The new contract involves things like, the winner of the All-Star Game
will no longer get home-field advantage in the World Series, smokeless tobacco
is now banned for all new big leaguers, and the possibility of playing games
outside of North America, like London.
The contract extends the deal between the two parties for another 5
years, and will usher in a new era of baseball.
Not only are the fans excited about the new extension, even the players
are excited to see the deal go through, “Happy it’s done, and baseball is back
on” (MLB owner, players’ union agree to 5-year labor contract), Los Angeles
Dodgers pitcher Brandon McCarthy stated.
Players also have a minimum wage increase to be excited about, the wage
will be increase from the current $507,500.
Now that the two sides have agreed on a collective bargain, the MLB can
open its facilities to the players on time for the start of this year’s season.
This
story goes very well with what we have been learning in class, specifically
about how professional sports is set up.
Professional sports are typically set up in three branches, the labor,
or players, the management, or owners, and the governance, or the league’s
commissioner. The deal that took place
between owners of major league baseball teams and its players was a deal
between labor and management of the MLB.
The negotiations between these two parties is an example of a collective
bargaining agreement, which is an agreement in writing between an employer and
a trade union, or the owners and players of the MLB, setting forth the terms
and conditions of employment or containing provisions in regard to rates of
pay, hours of work, or other working conditions. As stated earlier the collective bargaining
agreement between the MLB and MLBPA has resolved issues pertaining to rate of
pay, or the minimum wage increase, and hours of work, or the increase of days
the season will take to play. Another
way this story relates to what we learn in class is how the new collective
bargaining agreement effects how players enter and engage free-agency. The free-agency system is when players whose
contracts have ended get the opportunity to test the waters, and try to sign
with a different team. Players are able
to negotiate for a new contract and may choose to extend their length of play
with a team or they may ask for more money for their service. Some of the new changes that the collective
bargaining agreement will change include, an increase in luxury tax in future
years, and teams under the new luxury tax will have to sacrifice a third-round
draft pick if they acquire a qualified free agent. Also, teams over the luxury tax will have to give
up a second and fifth round pick, plus lose money from their international
draft. There are many other things from
the article that can be related to what we learn in class, but I believe that
these are the most important that can be brought up from the article.
The
agreement that took place between the owners and players shows how much the
three branches of professional sports actually does in order for us fans to
enjoy the sports we love. Many hours are
spent negotiating and dealing so that millions of people all over North America
can enjoy America’s greatest pastime, the sport of baseball.
References
MLB, players' union
strike new 5-year labor deal. (n.d.). Retrieved December 01, 2016, from http://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/18176138/mlb-owners-players-union-reach-agreement-new-5-year-labor-contract
Davidoff, K. (2016). MLB
finally avoids lockout: Here are eight highlights in the deal. Retrieved
December 01, 2016, from http://nypost.com/2016/11/30/mlb-finally-avoids-lockout-with-few-dramatic-changes/
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