AMLU negotiators, MiLB officials and a federal mediator meet in Cincinnati!

[WhatWuzThatBlue]

Originally Posted by Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.

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!

[Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.]

Originally Posted by WhatWuzThatBlue

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.

[WhatWuzThatBlue]

That type of pontificating is exactly what the AMLU boys did prior to walking out. (By the way, it is possible to walk out without a contract - check the language used by the Teamsters during the NY City garbage strike. The local 813 reps repeatedly said that they were walking out since they have been working without a contract since November.)

The MiLB umpire's union begged amateur umpires to support their decision by not accpeting their schedules. They pleaded and muttered about all umpires knowing how it feels to be abused and maltreated. Then...sit odwn for this, they turned on their brethren. Yes, the very same souls they tried to influence were now the targets of their terror. You cannot deny that their photo gallery was shameful - posting names and petty comments was really beneath them. These professional umpires espoused back street mentality - threats, retaliation and intimidation. Compound that with the hubris of a certain IL crew chief (I don't print names - this guy deserves no more attention) saying that the Delmon Young incident likely wouldn't have occured if a professional umpire had been on the field and you've got a new moniker: AMLU - Association of Men Lacking Understanding.

I have no qualms saying that I would support any umpire who chose to work those games. Obviously you have no qualms acting in such a shameful manner. I can't understand how you can justify what they did to their fellow umpires.

You claim to be of some influence in the basketball world. Do basketball officials regularly mock their colleagues and threaten their safety?

Most of us supported the need for our apprentice brothers to seek better salaries. A few of us took issue with the suggestion that the union wanting more say in player punishment and monitoring. Others felt that if you didn't want to accept the salary for the chance at glory, step aside - the schools are full of candidates. I considered the issue to be union brass driven. I almost always took specific issue with the when driving that bus into the ditch. I find little fault with the guys who are grinding it every day. That was until they started their senseless barrage on the amateur arbiter. Replacement umpires were necessary because the game is bigger than any umpire. Judging by the continuous stream of similar sentiment, I'd say I'm not alone in this judgement. You may want to ask around, but I'm pretty sure that glass house you're living in has a few cracks.

[MrB]

It appears that the AMLU voted the contract down, good for them.

[GarthB]

Originally Posted by MrB

It appears that the AMLU voted the contract down, good for them.

If this is true, they may be awakening to what fools pass for their leadership. One needs only to look at the release of last Thursday:

The strike cannot officially end until the AMLU's membership votes to approve the deal, but that seems likely because the union bargaining committee is unanimously recommending that the deal be approved. That vote will be done by May 1, and if approved, the regular umpires should be back on the field by May 8. Details of the compromise were not immediately available.

"Our committee is pleased that the mediation process we proposed has resulted in a deal that will get our membership back on the field where they belong," union attorney Robert Weaver said in a joint release issued by the union and PBUC.

[WhatWuzThatBlue]

You and I rarely agree, Garth. If you go back over the last six months worth of posts about this topic, you'll find that I have long held that the AMLU brass are inept. I have not heard whether it passed or not, but if this is the case, my idea of disbanding the current union and signing individual contracts may prove fairly sound. Some of those boys should be out there right now, proving their worth and enjoying the talent they've been provided. Setting on the side getting rusty and bitter is a waste of time. I pray that they didn't just waste the last month.

[SAump]

What will PBUC do?
a) Provide an incentive for AMLU to return to work for the good of the game.
b) Quickly invent an entirely new rating system that isn't any better over long run.
c) Spend the year rating new farts who have already past the picket line.
d) Train new umpires who will also ask for pay raises once they feel well qualified.

$90 bucks or BUST.