Article From MiLB.com
 

Some 6 Year Deal
 

I thought when you enter a LONG term contract, it was suppose to provide you with more money and STABILITY over the long term.

Signing a 6 year deal TODAY at a rate that is more than 6 years old doesn't satisfy the original purpose of a NEW long term contract.

How can those leaders ask members to ratify the measure that will set the AMLU back for a GENERATION?

Several weeks ago, I posted that the MiLB guys were screwed. Looks like I was right, unfortunately.

I don't think the AMLU has a position to bargain from, thanks to our fellow, "pond scum scabies" who took away any bargaining power they may have had.

Not only have I lost even more respect for the umpires in my association who crossed the line, I have the same disgust for those who try to justify them crossing. You want to talk to me about it, use your real name, address, and phone number. And lets make sure your family is involved in the conversation. I am sure they would be real proud of how you didn't support the plight of your brother MiLB umpires.

It takes a certain amount of intelligence to resist your own personal desires. Apparently, there were too many out there without the intelligence, or self respect to do so. The MiLB umpires are not a group of people who have been collecting windfall profits for years, and were being greedy with this attempt to better their situation. These guys are basically everyday working stiffs, trying to reach a dream, and sacrificing more than you would be willing to sacrifice to do it. Now, they have their own brothers to thank for their quest failing, and their situation worsening.

Will they take the deal ? I think they will, because if they don't, the next offer will be even worse. Don't blame the mediator, don't blame the AMLU, look in the mirror and then throw the brick !

I'm sitting here laughing...

Maybe I'll spend a few minutes and find my post from late last year about this mess. For almost six months I've preached that they should accept the latest offer and work on the the future with new leadership. They lost revenue from Spring assignments, a month worth of salary and the little respect they had. The actions thay took to destroy the image of amateur umpiring is inexcusable. Specific targets of their wrath will always remember the days when they were persecuted for doing their job.

I hope they do sign the deal and find that the 'career' they fought to protect leaves them behind. Then they'll realize that most of us understand that decisions have consequences. It's too bad that they have to find that out now.

This thread is awash in misinformation regarding the proposal that is on the table. How could anyone possibly know what the numbers included in it are without being privy to the information?

every thread on this topic is "awash in misinformation"

They don't, just like they haven't all along. But for some it is fun to speculate apparently.

get a grip
 

The fact is that there are thousands of good umpires out there and the AMLU has spent a disproportionate amount of time belittling their skills and the quality of their work. These are guys who take pride in what they do and who were shocked by the vicious attacks, late night phone calls, harassment, etc. from guys who call themselves "professional." What a load. To make matters worse many of these guys work side by side in Arizona and Florida in the Spring, and now they're told that the AMLU guys are too good to associate with them, and they get to watch while the AMLU guys celebrate a fellow umpire getting a bat thrown at him.

I didn't work as a replacement, wasn't asked to, never really considered doing so, but I have no problem with anyone who did. The union apologists can scream scab all they want but when they chose not to show up for work they gave a rare opportunity to the other thousands of skilled umpires out there, and I don't begrudge any of them for taking the chance to refine their skills in professional baseball. I bet a lot of them will have future opportunities as a result, e.g. injury fill-ins, etc.

On target
 

NEWS http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2421432

"The 220 minor league umpires around the country are seeking higher salaries and an increase in meal money. The average salary for Triple-A umpires is $15,000, with a per diem of $25.

"And it's been the same for the last 10 years," said Scott, who worked third base in the umpire crew with Iassogna and Kulpa at the Reds-Nationals game Monday night."

-------------------------------

I pray the AMLU umps are awashed in money, but I don't think PBUC had any choice but to hold the bottom line at the bottom. I shouldn't hear much about BAD news from AMLU members. I would expect that GOOD news in the form of PAY RAISES travels fast. Will I read about those details TODAY?

What's the difference?
 

Nick,

I took a look at your website (http://www.reegphoto.com/) and wonder what is the difference between what you do to local "studio" photographers and what the "pond scum scabies" are doing to the AMLU members.

You say that you will bring the studio to me for less than studio prices. You further state that your prices will beat the price of any local photographer.

Aren't you undercutting the ability of other local photographers to get a better price and make a living by pricing below them?

thats competition for you.

If they turn it down, MiLB will use replacements for the rest of the season and next season. MiLB and PBUC are effectively playing hardball. The agreement reached is almost exactly like the one turned down over the winter. The MiLB umpires with whom I've discussed this are not very happy about the agreement, and they're not very happy with their own union. Regardless, they feel as if they've been backed into a corner. If they don't accept it, they're going to be out of work for at least this year and next, probably for good. If they do accept it, they've literally wasted all this time and negotiation to get something that's almost exactly what they turned down months ago.

It's no accident, either, that the agreement is a 6-year one. There are some good reasons why MiLB and PBUC wanted such a long agreement. It gives THEM the advantage.

All in all, this is an agreement that is not very good.

The MiLBU did NOT walkout. The union went on strike. When a contract expires and a new on is not in place, the union can continue to work under the old contract until a new one has been adopted or it can go on strike. The MiLBU choose to go on strike and the umpires who choose to replace them can be called anything you want to call them, but they did stab their fellow brother sports officials in the back by working the games during a strike.

MTD, Sr.

I recoiled in disgust at this post. The AMLU brass screwed the pooch on this one. They instructed the membership to ignore Spring assignments...not governed by the PBUC system or the contract. They walked away from those games and the chance to advance their careers.

I have been intimately involved with union strikes over the years. Your assumption that I am a novice is ill placed.

The umpires who replaced those who consciously chose to refuse to work should be commended. They accepted assignments for the good of the game, challenged their abilities and withstood peltings by those who claim to be professional. I suspect that you find the posting of names, email addresses and photos of those who worked acceptable? Maybe you were also in favor of the threats they received? Nothing will ever salve the wounds created by the unions' hypocrisy.

I know plenty of union contractors that do side jobs for extra cash. They are taking money out of their fellow brothers' pockets and weakening the bargaining system by doing it. It amazes me when they cry foul for doing the same!

It is obvious from your reply, you feel that putting your umpiring career before you fellow umpire brothren. I feel very sorry for you because you must be a very lonely man.

MTD, Sr.