[WhatWuzThatBlue]

Thanks Mike, so do they.

I own my own business so I don't have a boss (my wife would disagree.) It's been a long time since I received a paycheck from someone else, but I have many friends who do. One of my best friends has worked for Motorola for almost twnety years. He is guaranteed nothing. He could walk in tomorrow and be replaced by two college grads. A few years ago, he had his salary cut and was thankful to still have a job when so many were downsized. I'll never understand the union mindset that you deserve more for just doing your job. Most employees get merit raises based on performance. If they just meet expectations they get nothing. Rewarding mediocrity is what destroys most business and gives unions a bad name. There may be a few unions that actually do push their employees to perform at a higher standard. But there are an awful lot that want more for those that just count the minutes until the shift is done.

The MiLB umpires do deserve more, that is not the issue. My problem is that if they walk away without a contract, then they deserve to be replaced. No one likes an umpire, especially when they are asking for money.