Major League Baseball Players Association rejects league’s most recent proposal and will not counter
"It is unfair to leave the players and the fans hanging at this point."
The Major League Baseball Players Association announced Saturday that it is denying the league’s latest offer and will not make a counteroffer.
In a letter to the league, the union asked MLB to provide a firm number for how many games the season will have and when and where players should report. The MLBPA is demanding the league informs it of its plans by Monday, June 15, according to ESPN’s Jeff Passan. The sides have gone back and forth for weeks, and it appears as though this could end up being a tipping point.
“It is unfair to leave the players and the fans hanging at this point,” the MLPBA wrote in the letter, according to Passan.
The Major League Baseball Players Association has rejected MLB’s latest proposal and will not counter, sources tell ESPN. In a letter to the league, the union asked MLB to inform it of how many games it intends to play and when players should report.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) June 13, 2020
From MLBPA letter: “We demand that you inform us of your plans by close of business on Monday, June 15.”
This isn’t to suggest Monday will be the end of this and we’ll know what sort of baseball season there will be, but the players are asking for a season and asking by Monday.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) June 13, 2020
Tony Clark, the executive director of the MLBPA, released a statement noting that the Association has made it clear that its No. 1 focus is playing the fullest season possible, as soon as possible, as safely as possible. Players agreed to billions in monetary concessions as a means to that end, Clark wrote, and made additional proposals to inject new revenues into the industry that would benefit all parties.
He said those proposals have “fallen upon deaf ears,” adding that the league’s response is “fundamentally unfair to players.”
“It appears that further dialogue with the league would be futile,” Clark wrote. “It’s time to get back to work. Tell us when and where.”
Major League Baseball Players Association Executive Director Tony Clark today released the following statement: pic.twitter.com/d1p3Oj4K70
— MLBPA Communications (@MLBPA_News) June 13, 2020
The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal reported that union negotiator Bruce Meyer said “there remain several open issues that will need to be addressed soon” on health and safety protocols.
Union negotiator Bruce Meyer, in a letter to deputy commissioner Dan Halem, says, “We demand you inform us of your plans by close of business on Monday, June 15.” Meyer adds “there remain several open issues that will need to be addressed soon” on health and safety protocols.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) June 13, 2020
“Given your continued insistence on hundreds of millions of dollars of additional pay reductions, we assume these negotiations are at an end.” — Bruce Meyer of the MLBPA to Dan Halem of MLB, in a letter today
— Evan Drellich (@EvanDrellich) June 13, 2020
This will now be in Rob Manfred’s hands as he can implement a season if compromise isn’t reached this week
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) June 13, 2020
Major League Baseball responded with a statement of its own Saturday night.
“We are disappointed that the MLBPA has chosen not to negotiate in good faith over resumption of play after MLB has made three successive proposals that would provide players, Clubs and our fans with an amicable resolution to a very difficult situation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic,” the statement said.
Here’s Major League Baseball’s statement.
With that phrase accusing the union of failing to bargain in good faith, it’s practically written to present to an arbitration panel the moment a grievance is filed. pic.twitter.com/u5vtriPsVT
— Jayson Stark (@jaysonst) June 14, 2020
https://twitter.com/PeteAbe/status/1271988685706321922
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