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Originally Posted by GarthB
Why is it my posts are edited in the replies and then responded to in such a way that makes it appear that I am opposed to the MiLB demands? Why is it that my statements: "I certainly support raises for minor league umpires. They deserve them. I support raises for school teachers, too. They also deserve them. I have no quibble with the ends. I continue to believe the umpires were misled about the means." never appear in replies and are ignored? Why is it some posters need to paint this issue as either one is "for" or "against" the MiLB umpires?
Must we agree 100% with union leadership and march in lockstop to be regarded as supportive of the members? is there no room for difference of opinon within the union? If so, the recent 2-1 vote against what the leadership called a good deal must represent heresy.
I have several friends in the MiLB. My son is working hard to join them. I understand their plight and I believe they are deserving of what they are asking for. But I have the right to also believe their leadership could be better.
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Garth:
I do not think you have to agree or disagree totally with the union. And I will tell you and agree with you that the union has made mistakes. Many of those mistakes are documented on this website. We share common ground there. But the other side is just as irrational, vis the post immediately following yours. Fact: MiLB/PBUC did not negotiate all winter- their last response, in October of '05, was "$100 per month raise and $1 more per diem. Take it or leave it." AMLU tried, according to those I know, to negotiate and were ignored until they voted to strike. Did AMLU wait too long? You bet. Did their leadership underestimate the resolve of PBUC? You bet. Did the AMLU leadership make numerous other tactical/strategic errors? Yep. We agree.
Just:
Thanks for making my point for me. Minimum wage workers do strike, all the time- they quit. Ask anybody in the fast food/custodial/other traditionally minimum wage fields (or study Department of Labor stats) how long the average worker lasts in that field. Then, of course, you ignore the fact that the professional umpire-to-be is considerably more skilled than the average minimum wage worker, and has invested much more of himself/herself in terms of personal finances and opportunity costs than the same minimum wage Joe or Jane. They are in it for a shot at Major League glory, sure. But why should we endorse penalizing most of them at poverty-level (or slightly above) wages for that vanity? Should MiLB umpires ignore the fact that most of us who work even mid-level amatuer ball make as much or more than they do? Should MiLB umpires not be allowed to say "A lower-middle class, close to living wage is all I want while I try to make it to the big time"?
Does Major League Baseball want the annual fruitbasket turnover in the minors that Just apparently says is JUST fine with him? Does anybody, even you, Just, think that firing an entire class of MiLB umpires is good for the game? Do you really think that those non-AMLU guys who get a contract this year have a shot at the Majors? Do you really think they will get renewed once either a new class of Wendelstedt/Evans guys comes through or PBUC and AMLU finally get it right? If you do, you and I are just going to have to agree to disagree.
Just, does the fact that more people are apparently waiting in the wings to be underpaid by PBUC make it ok for them to underpay AMLU?
Strikes and outs!