Scab Umpires

[jwwashburn]

Originally Posted by Thatballzlow

I appreciate you all for taking the time to read this post, and if you'd like to know more, please respond to my post and I can help everyone understand the feelings of both sides.

Huh? How can you tell us about BOTH sides? When you say "both sides" do you mean the "side" of a former AMLU guy and the side of a current AMLU guy?

Why has the AMLU has decided it is perfectly OK to take College and HS games that "brother umpires" would like to work?

Joe

[PWL]

Originally Posted by jwwashburn

Huh? How can you tell us about BOTH sides? When you say "both sides" do you mean the "side" of a former AMLU guy and the side of a current AMLU guy?

Why has the AMLU has decided it is perfectly OK to take College and HS games that "brother umpires" would like to work?

Joe

Hey JoJo,

They are probably turning back their high school/college games so they can go work the minor league games. You think they're going to work a little varsity game for peanuts when they can go work a minor league game for three times as much. Yeah, right.

[JRutledge]

Originally Posted by jwwashburn

Huh? How can you tell us about BOTH sides? When you say "both sides" do you mean the "side" of a former AMLU guy and the side of a current AMLU guy?

Why has the AMLU has decided it is perfectly OK to take College and HS games that "brother umpires" would like to work?

Joe

I am not sure what world you live in. No one takes assignments from anyone. You are either given an opportunity or you are not given an opportunity. The only people that might be hurt by the Minor League guys coming back are the guys on the margins. The solid to great umpires are not going to be hurting for schedules. Also it is a misconception that many of these guys are coming back in the first place. I have had guys offer to work with me just so they could work and were willing to do it for free (not being paid at all). I also know some guys that are not working anything right now either. I worked with a guy on Sunday that is a current Minor League Umpire and would not be working games until May or June with or without this strike. He was going to work those games whether anyone liked it. The assignor wanted him there and that is where he was. He was also one of the best umpires I have ever seen. Our other partner was a Minor League guy last year I believe and he is working a lot of D1 ball. Guess what, these guys are good and they are going to work because the powers that be will want them there. Remember assignors want to keep their jobs. They want people that can handle situations.

Peace

[wsttxump]

This was posted on another thread. I guess the Minor league guys have changed their minds about taking assignments because the "assignors want them there".

This is Jason Millsap here.

First and formost, I would like to thank Carl for posting this for me, and all of you for your time to read it and your consideration.

I have read through the replies here briefly and wanted to answer one question real quick, as it is 1:30 at night, and I just got in from a four hour road trip after a double header.

As Carl stated, I have always worked amateur games in the time before reporting to spring training. Before getting into the game, I was an amateur umpire for five years, and was already working at the college level before attending umpire school.

As a union, we have discussed in depth, us working amateur games. We have decided, and mandated that we will only work games as a last minute fill in to help out assignors. We will not attempt to pick up games to fill out our schedule while we are on strike, should the need to strike arise. I repeat, we will not take your games.

Our theory on this is simple. If we are going to ask you for your support in not taking our games, we can not, and will not take yours. Plain and simple. If you know of a MiLB umpire who takes games, please contact me personally, and I will look into the situation, and help you out as much as possible.

As a note, I will let you know how I handled this situation personally. I recevied my schedule through March 15th like I have for the last four years. Any dates after that point, I will only accept games that need me to work them due to last minute schedule changes, or cancellations. I will not take games that could be filled by other amateur umpires. I assure you that, and for those that know me, I stand by my word.

After spending the early parts of my career initially learning how to umpire, and the game at the amateur level, I have made many friends at the amatuer level. Many of these I would consider to be some of my best friends. I still have a deep connection, and concern for the game at the amateur level. I take every opportunity afforded to me to give back to amateur umpires, whether it be through watching guys work, speaking engagements, or clinics. I have been given the opportunity to learn many things that most guys don't, and the more of this I can pass on, the better off the game is due to better umpiring.

I will read through the rest of these posts later tomorrow after I have rested and have more time. Until then, if you need to, please feel free to contact me with any questions, or concerns.

I thank you for your time, and your support. I assure you, we will not be taking any of your games at the amateur level due to our inopportunity to work, should it happen. We have been preparing for this possibility both as a union, and individually. We will not hurt your schedule, and hope to resolve our issues and continue on with our careers.

This can only be achieved through your support.

Thanks

Jason Millsap
seeitcallit "at" earthlink.net

[JRutledge]

Originally Posted by AMLU

I have no idea what this means.

I take assignments when they are offered. I take assignemnts when I am told where to go and when. I'm sorry if this blows up your statement. Here is an opportunity I give you to or you can call it an assignment, no, you can't my bad, to refute the fact that I take assignments.

My comments were directly to those that have tried to suggest that Minor League umpires are "taking" amateur assignments from amateur umpires.

You may accept assignments that are offered to you by an assignor or fellow umpire, but you are not "taking" them from anyone.

You need to read the comments I am responding to.

Peace

[JRutledge]

Originally Posted by AMLU

If there are, say, 100 games, two umpires per game, 200 umpires and each one gets a game, then someone comes along from MiLB and takes one of those games, one umpire gets excluded. The MiLB guy took that game from him.

Assignors make decisions like this all the time. They decide who they need and who new is to take the place of those that die, retire, get fired, screw up and change their availability. According to your logic any newly hired umpire are "taking" assignments away from veterans when they get hired for a new season.

Also let us not exaggerate the situation. I highly doubt that any umpire is taking 100 games from anyone at this point. I know where I live we are scrounging for umpires to cover games. So if there is someone that is not available that would not normally be available at this time of the year, I know of some assignors that would be very happy with the fact that there are qualified umpires available to cover games instead of picking up very new umpires to work games that because of numbers is the only reason they would be working certain games in the first place.

Peace

[Clint Lawson]

I'm reading that the reason people are working minor league games because we(the minor league umpires) are working HS/College games. There are 4 minor league umpires in my city. We are not working games, so why are people working ours?

Clint Lawson
[email protected]

[jwwashburn]

Originally Posted by Clint Lawson

I'm reading that the reason people are working minor league games because we(the minor league umpires) are working HS/College games. There are 4 minor league umpires in my city. We are not working games, so why are people working ours?

Why do you call the Minor League games "yours"? You have refused to work them, so how do the games belong to you?

I am really wanting to see an actual answer to that question without a bunch of "union speak". Someone may have explained it somewhere, but I have not seen it.

Joe

[Clint Lawson]

We have not refused to work these games. We are ready to go to work tomorrow. We don't have a labor contract. We have tried to settle this since October. MiLB is the ones holding this up. Would you go to work without a contract.

Clint Lawson
[email protected]

[lds7199]

Originally Posted by Clint Lawson

I'm reading that the reason people are working minor league games because we(the minor league umpires) are working HS/College games. There are 4 minor league umpires in my city. We are not working games, so why are people working ours?

Clint Lawson
[email protected]

Because they are not "your" games anymore. You have chosen not to work. So, the people that you are speaking about are working "their" games, not "yours".