The Major League Baseball Players Association is certainly familiar with work stoppages.
Just less than a year ago, professional baseball was put on pause when MLB owners decided to lock out their players as negotiations over a new collective bargaining agreement had reached a standstill.
At the very core of the player demands was a raise: Average salary had decreased in the previous four seasons while revenue continued to go up.
Eventually, in March, the sides reached an agreement. Among other things, minimum salaries rose, the de facto luxury tax rose, the lowest-paid pre-arbitration players were given a bonus pool for outstanding production, the postseason expanded and further concessions changed the sport to get everyone back on the field.
The group understands a labor fight and the value of sticking together as a unit of workers. So it should be no surprise that Tuesday, they expressed their support on Twitter for striking workers at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
The Post-Gazette’s workers have been negotiating for a contract with management since 2017, though they have been working under an imposed contract since 2020, when the company unlawfully declared an impasse to negotiations. The Guild, however, remains willing to negotiate to reach an agreement.
The imposed conditions include a cutting of wages, vacation time, an ability to give work away to non-Guild workers and the imposition of a health insurance plan that offers less coverage at a higher price than the one previously used under the most-recent collectively bargained contract.
The strike comes just days after the production, distribution and advertising unions called their own unfair labor practice strike against the newspaper.
In the MLBPA’s case, the lockout was lifted after a few months, when negotiations continued and an agreement was reached before regular-season games were lost.
