Managment seems to be ok with Replacements: Read!

[MrB]

Minor League Umpires Walk Out
Men in blue on strike over salary issues

By J.J. Cooper
April 4, 2006

When minor league Opening Day arrives on Thursday, replacement umpires will be behind the plate and working the bases after minor league umpires did not make their reporting dates--a move that was expected after negotiations for a new labor deal reached an impasse last month.

The Association of Minor League Umpires is now officially on strike, after the union and the Professional Baseball Umpires Corporation--the subsidiary of Minor League Baseball that manages minor league umpires--were unable to work out a new contract.

"Our membership has prepared themselves very well for the worst-case scenario," union president Andy Roberts said last week. "Their offseason jobs for many of them pay more than what they make in spring training and during the regular season. I have complete confidence in the solidarity of our group and the unity of our group. We're well communicated, well prepared and well advised."

Calls to both Roberts and George Yund, the attorney leading the negotiations for PBUC, were not immediately returned on Tuesday.

Tuesday was the first day that umpires were required to report in some leagues, making it officially the first day of the strike. Officials with the International and Texas leagues, which had April 4 reporting dates, confirmed that their umpires did not report. Southern League officials said they have already been informed that their umpires will not report on April 5. A couple of other leagues said they were still hoping for the possibility of umpires reporting, while making back-up plans in case they do not.

"We knew that this could happen. We were hoping it wouldn't, but we knew it was a possibility," Carolina League president John Hopkins said. "It has been additional work, although not as difficult as maybe I expected. We feel good about Plan A or Plan B."

The union is asking for raises in salary and per diem payments, along with improvements in travel, insurance and umpire safety. Management has offered a $100 a month raise and a $1 a day increase to the per diem, though the deductible for health insurance would rise from $100 to $500 a year as well. Minor League Baseball has said it has made its best and final offer to the umpires, and will not negotiate further.

The negotiations have gone on throughout the offseason, giving leagues plenty of time to work on assembling rosters of replacement umpires, although it did lead to a busy last month leading up to the season. League presidents around the minors said they have umpires lined up to work games. Most of the spots will be filled with college or former pro umpires.

"We're going to have umpires and that's what we need," Texas League president Tom Kayser said. "The level at which they officiate will be the level for both sides, and we'll get along.

"It's going to range from ex-pro umpires down to college and junior college umpires depending on availability on the weekends."

Fans will be able to judge the caliber of umpiring beginning Thursday, but several league presidents said they're confident the games will go on with few problems.

"I don't have any concerns," Hopkins said. "I'm not so naïve to think there won't be a period of adjustment, but there are lot of people out there who have been umpiring amateur games for decades."

Florida State League president Chuck Murphy said, "I don't think being in Florida I'm too concerned about it, because we have a lot of retired umpires. Word out of spring training was the umpiring was very good."

The minor league umpires opted to not work spring training games, even though they are not part of the umpires' deal with PBUC. Without minor league umpires, some minor league spring training games were played without umpires, with coaches or players filling in.

The umpires' previous five-year agreement ended after last season. Management's position is that minor league umpires are serving, in essence, a paid internship to potentially become major league umpires, though few minor league umpires ever reach the majors.

As part of that approach, there are rules for umpires to be released if they do not advance after two years at their current level. As part of the last negotiated contract, PBUC has increased evaluations to tell umpires more quickly whether they have major league potential.

"Some of the people in the umpires ranks seem to think it ought to be a year-round, lifetime career," Yund said in March. "Five years ago (during the last round of labor negotiations) the leadership of the umpires union came to the bargaining table and said, 'If we aren't going to make it, we need to know as soon as possible.' Now they've done a 180, saying they want more time guaranteed at each level. And they want to be paid like it's a year-round job."

Umpires' salaries range from $5,500 a year in the Rookie leagues to $15,000 a year in Triple-A. Roberts and the union have said they want to see greater raises, and perhaps more importantly, increases throughout the life of the four-year contract to keep up with inflation.

Now that they are on strike, the umpires could be permanently replaced. In the past, Yund has also said that the strike could lead to the elimination of the system where all major league umpire hirings come from the minor leagues.

"Strikers can be permanently replaced. We're not saying that definitely will happen, but we aren't saying that it won't," Yund said. "The system where minor league umpires are the only ones hired as major league umpires may not survive a strike."

[LMan]

It doesnt sound smart that the AMLU didnt work spring training...that gave management all those games to 'test' the replacement-umpire theory, and apparently it was found valid.

[WhatWuzThatBlue]

I think I'm hearing a different tune.

"Our membership has prepared themselves very well for the worst-case scenario," union president Andy Roberts said last week. "Their offseason jobs for many of them pay more than what they make in spring training and during the regular season. I have complete confidence in the solidarity of our group and the unity of our group. We're well communicated, well prepared and well advised."

Didn't we just read for the last few months how it was so tough to ge by on $1,800 -$3,000 a month? Didn't some members comment that this if for a 5 month season and they can make even more in the off season? If I recall a couple of AMLU 'supporters' said that this wasn't the case. Hmmmm...it seems that maybe some of us knew more than others.

Someone may want to advise them how to issue a press release that isn't filled with grammatical errors and hypocrisy. Does anyone else remember what happened to Custer's loyal troops?

[SAump]

"The minor league umpires opted to not work spring training games, even though they are not part of the umpires' deal with PBUC. Without minor league umpires, some minor league spring training games were played without umpires, with coaches or players filling in."

Was the coach calling the balls and strikes while standing behind the mound, or was the catcher calling the balls and strikes from behind trhe plate?

I wonder which uniform the coaches or players would use to umpire. Perhaps a Pro-replica with the large number sewn onto the sleeve. "Hey COACH, your NO DARLING."

[JRutledge]

This is called contract negotiation. One side gives gloom and doom and the other side thinks everything will be fine. Remember the NFL Labor dispute about a month ago. We thought everything was going to fall apart only to see everything settled and back to normal. This is not much different. Of course there are different issues at stake. I do not think they are going to have a bunch of amateurs taking the place permanently when they might not have many willing to go through the same system as what the current pros have to deal with. Have a couple of situations hurt a team and I would not be surprised to see all of this over.

So I do not know how anyone can say the union has made a mistake. It is too early for that.

Peace

[SanDiegoSteve]

Originally Posted by JIGGY

No scab is ever going to have a shot at MLB

You might want to check with Dave Pallone or Fred Brocklander about that. They took grief their whole careers, but they were not run off, and they stood their ground. No umpires would have anything to do with them off the field, but they survived and had careers in the majors.

MLB has never cared for strikers, and hired many of the 1979 "scabs" as permanent umpires.

And I happen to support your cause, but I wish you would quit blowing your own trumpet because it is starting to sour everyone to your plight.

[BigUmp56]

Let me ask you a question then, "Jiggy." If you have no real vested interest in the AMLU plight, why do you feel it's your responsibility to defend their position?


The only thing I see coming from you is a lot of rhetoric in an attempt to turn this into a union -vs- non union debacle. As a long time union member I have to tell you that these tactics you're attempting to employ have been proven ineffective in this day and age. You're dealing with grown men here who are free to choose to do as they wish. Good or bad. To constantly berate others for asserting their own free will smacks of imense imaturity on your part.


Tim.

[MrB]

Originally Posted by BigUmp56

Let me ask you a question then, "Jiggy." If you have no real vested interest in the AMLU plight, why do you feel it's your responsibility to defend their position?

Tim.

I can't tell you exactly why he is defending their position, but I have an idea. He is fighting for his friends and a way of life that he lived and the people that he lived it with and who have sacrificed almost everything to live that life. He is fighting for those that earned the right to work where they work and do what they do. While I am fighting for them, because I truly feel that a stirke will change the system into something else, that is why I will not cross. I don't care if you or anyone else thinks me a scab, but I do care if the guys I worked pro-ball with think me one, that is why I won't cross and that is why he is fighting in defense of their postion.

[JIGGY]

Originally Posted by BigUmp56

Let me ask you a question then, "Jiggy." If you have no real vested interest in the AMLU plight, why do you feel it's your responsibility to defend their position?


The only thing I see coming from you is a lot of rhetoric in an attempt to turn this into a union -vs- non union debacle. As a long time union member I have to tell you that these tactics you're attempting to employ have been proven ineffective in this day and age. You're dealing with grown men here who are free to choose to do as they wish. Good or bad. To constantly berate others for asserting their own free will smacks of imense imaturity on your part.


Tim.

Big Tim,

I have never said anything about this being a union vs. non-union issue. Every man has a decision to make for himself. It just seems to me that there are an awful lot of post on here trying to convince others that being a scab is the way to go and using mis-information to do so. Feelings go both ways, that is fine, but the facts are the facts and aren't open to speculation or the opinon of someone who doesn't know. I want those who insist on being able to say "I worked a pro game" to do it but be quiet about it. They will show what clowns they are on the field. Otherwise there is no logical reason for someone otherwise not involved to get involved. It is a very short term and therefor short-sighted decision in a situation that requires a long term solution. (there is no long term benifit for either the scab or MiLB)

...also KUDOS to Mr.B. An excellent articulation of your feelings and those of many others who have seen a bigger picture.

[WhatWuzThatBlue]

Did I miss the part where he said that he was, wasn't or ever was associated with AMLU? That seemed to be the point of Mr. B's post, Jiggy.

Hey, here's some information for you:

Associated Press
NEW YORK -- Minor-league baseball defended its offer to umpires Wednesday, likening their jobs to an educational program rather than a lifetime career.

The minor-league umps voted this month to authorize a strike and are boycotting spring training. A strike decision hasn't been announced.


"Every umpire hired into the major leagues came from the minors. It's like being paid to go to school for the diploma and training you need for the chance at a very well-paid job," George Yund, a lawyer for the Professional Baseball Umpire Corp., said.

Management made what it called its "last, best and final offer" on Jan. 31, and umpires responded last Friday.

"We received a counterproposal that reflected fairly significant movement from their previous position, but it was not an acceptance of our last, best and final offer," Yund said.

Before this week, management negotiators have refused to discuss bargaining publicly.

The Association of Minor League Umpires, which represents about 220 umps in 16 leagues, said the average salary for minor-league umpires has remained unchanged for a decade -- it is about $15,000 at Triple-A, $12,000 at Double-A, $10,000 in full-season A-ball and $5,500 in rookie leagues. Those salaries reflect three to five month seasons.

Yund said umpires, who unionized in 2000, receive annual raises because of increased service time but the scale itself hasn't increased.

"When they first unionized, they agreed with us on realistic maximum numbers of years in each level of play and told us they wanted evaluations that let them know as soon as possible that they would not make it to the big leagues," he said. "This time, in both their rhetoric and the proposals they made, they talk about minor-league employment as though it is a year-round job in a lifetime career. That's simply not the case. It is a seasonal apprenticeship."

Yund said umps refused to work rather than accept a 42 percent increase in spring training compensation, arranged by the PBUC with major-league baseball.

Those aren't my words, those seem to be from the horse's mouth.

[JIGGY]

[QUOTE=WhatWuzThatBlue] Fitz and friends did my evaluations long ago and I'm still friends with many of those guys. QUOTE]

That pretty much says it all. That single sentence tells more about you than the pages of mindless dribble you post everyday. Fitz is a spineless, worthless bureaucrat and always has been (though for a period he was a horse$#it umpire as well). He has never and will never look out for the best interest of any of the minor league umpires (even when he was in the game). There may never have been or ever be a human being more afraid and unable to handle conflict. He is nothing more than a puppet of minor league baseball.

Whats ironic about the situation is that if, as some would propose, minor league baseball changed the way they hire and train umpires, Fitz would be out of a job. He serves only to maintain the current system, anything outside of that would render him useless to minor league baseball (as he is to everyone else already).

You put yourself in good company, the one of the biggest c@(%SU(%ers in minor league baseball. No wonder you have nothing of any value or intelligence to say.

[Justme]

Replacements blend in well taking over for striking umpires

Friday, April 07, 2006
By Steve Vedder
The Grand Rapids Press

COMSTOCK PARK -- If the ultimate compliment for an umpire is that nobody notices their work, it was a successful night for two replacement umpires who worked Thursday's West Michigan Whitecaps opener at Fifth Third Ballpark.
The two umpires, Bob Higgins and Pat Moore, escaped with nothing but praise for their work in Fort Wayne's 5-3 win over the Whitecaps.

The two were working because of a strike by the 220-member Association of Minor League Umpires. Minor league baseball's governing body, the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues, has directed teams to hire replacement umpires until a settlement is reached.

Whitecaps vice president of operations Jim Jarecki said the Midwest League won't allow teams to release the names of replacement umpires.
Higgins, a native of Greenville who worked the bases without incident Thursday, said his reason for accepting the job was simple.
"Somebody's got to do it. You have to make a living," he said. "I have no problem with doing it."

Whitecaps manager Matt Walbeck and Fort Wayne's Randy Ready both said Higgins and Moore did well under the circumstances. The Whitecaps were unable to hire any local amateur umpires who work Division I college games as well as Midwest League fill-ins because those umpires backed the umpires association.

"They did fine. Any time you have to cross a picket line, you're in a tough situation," Walbeck said. "Everyone here understands the situation. They're part-timers who don't have (professional) experience. We need to be understanding of that and the ballplayers are."

Ready said the focus should have been more on a well-played opener.
"They're doing the best they can, but we've still got a schedule to play," he said.

Jarecki said the Whitecaps looked everywhere for credible umpires. The pair will work at least the team's next two homestands or until the strike is settled, he said.

"You just aren't going to bring in some 14-year Little League guy," he said. "You've got to have some experience and we looked at that."