The AMLU's Birmingham Folly

[Thatballzlow]

Ladies and Gentlemen:

I'm sick and tired of all the misinformation as to what is going on, so I thought I would finally write a post that would hopefully clear up some issues, and, I pray, will be read by some of the AMLU members to start a groundswell to pull themselves off the ground and get running again. First, a back story...

In 2001, when the union first formed, the AMLU had some able leaders who certainly argued with Randy Mobley and the rest of the negotiators from the other side. However, there was a much bigger rapport between those AMLU leaders and Mobley and the boys because they all umpired in his league. In fact, the statement was made after the negotiation that, "You (AMLU) couldn't have picked a better group of professional individuals to represent you at the table." (That is a paraphrase, can't remember the exact wording). This comment was from none other than Pat O'Connor, who heads up PBUC!

The union settled an issue in 2002 involving the fact that the Intl. League would not pay for in-town gasoline for their umpires, although, in some cities (Buffalo, for example), the ballpark was a 20 minute drive from the hotel they put them up in. The new union president, Ryan West, decided it was time to file a grievance. The AMLU administrator at the time was Jeff Kowalczyk. He instead, and wisely so, advised the president and board to allow him to contact the IL, i.e., Mobley, and discuss the situation. He informed Mobley that they would be filing a grievance, and they were down to their last day on it, but they wanted to not "blindside" the IL over this. Mobley appreciated the gesture, and informed the AMLU that he completely understood why they were filing. The situation, handled correctly, ended up being settled without a grievance...just a sit down discussion.

So...where did they go wrong?

ANDY ROBERTS and his cronies is where they went wrong! Listen to this list of truths:

As soon as Andy Roberts, from Birmingham, AL, was elected President, he immediately removed Kowalczyk, a veteran umpire who had been released earlier and now was managing the funds of the AMLU, from his position. Kowalczyk had placed the money of the AMLU in a fund that would have matured in the fall of 2005, just in time to go to the negotiating table. This money was "mysteriously" removed from the account at the request of Roberts. There was a early withdrawal penalty on the money, which actually cost the AMLU a net loss of thousands of dollars if you factor the return on investment lost and the withdrawal penalties. The money was put into annuities, which reap great financial rewards for the agent who gains the commission...PS...the annuities are in BIRMINGHAM, where Roberts works in selling...oh, my...annuities...so guess who gets the commission???

As soon as Andy Roberts was elected President, he immediately removed Beth Saindon, the labor attorney who was involved in the first negotiations in 2001. Ask anyone in pro baseball about Beth, and they will tell you, "Management would do ANYTHING to get rid of Beth from the room." Beth was a THORN in the side of PBUC. She is the major reason there was a deal in 2001, PERIOD. Roberts replaced Saindon with Robert Weaver...ROBERT WHO??? Weaver is the attorney who told the union after three short weeks of striking, "This is the best deal you'll get from them." Gee, what a brilliant strategy! Oh, and by the way...Weaver is from BIRMINGHAM...are you seeing the picture?

As soon as Andy Roberts was elected President, he immediately shutout all access to any umpires who had been released. Several former umpires have attempted to better the conditions for their former brethren, only to have communication shut off. The AMLU was set up in a way to allow umpires who were released to have some say, albeit much smaller, in the union. A real leader would embrace the words of their colleagues, not shut them out. Then, after the negotiations started in late 2005, the AMLU by-laws were "mysteriously changed" to allow released umpires to remain on the Board of Directors or the Officers positions. Guess who fell under that? Brian Hale, Vice President of the AMLU...Oh, by the way...Did you know Brian is from BIRMINGHAM?

They also have grieved every little incident that has occured in his tenure, instead of working with the management staff. No calls, no, "hey, can we sit down and talk about this before we have to grieve it?" Nope, not this group...take it to the NLRB. Why do you think management is playing hardball? It's because they have NO RESPECT for the AMLU anymore after their whine here, whine there, whine everywhere approach.

The point of this post is everything Andy Roberts has touched has gone to hell in a handbasket. This needs to be read by every single AMLU member to realize what has happened. As a former member, I'm embarrased and ashamed and sorry what has happened to these poor umpires. They asked for it, they got it, but I don't think they realized WHAT they had lost when they voted for Roberts and his cronies.

It's time the AMLU either disbanded, or the membership reformed with a new union, a new leadership group, and MOST DEFINITELY a board of directors that are not CURRENT UMPIRES...there is too much temptation to save your own skin at the price of your friends' skin when the Fhit hits the San...

I wish everyone of them the best of luck, and if you are reading this and know an AMLU member...please please please pass this onto them.