The Major League Baseball Players Association, shortened to MLBPA, is a union that represents all major league baseball players, coaches, managers, and training staff. The MLBPA acts on behalf of its members in labor negotiations with the MLB league office and works to ensure that MLB players are compensated fairly and that their wants/needs are heard.
Structure
Tony Clark is the current executive director of the MLBPA. Clark took over on December 2, 2013, after the passing of former executive director, Michael Weiner. A switch-hitting first baseman, Clark played for 15 seasons in the MLB and is the first former MLB player to lead the MLBPA.
The MLBPA is comprised of three sections: the labor union, which represents players and coaches, the Players Choice Group Licensing Program, which represents all commercial and licensing agreements of the MLBPA members, and the Major League Baseball Players Trust, which is a charitable foundation that aims to grow youth baseball and various other causes that the members decide on.
The Players Choice Group Licensing Program provides player and staff protection in case of unauthorized use of its member’s likeness. The MLBPA owes all rights to its members’ names, numbers, nicknames, signatures, and all other likenesses. Associations that desire to use any of these previously named features of a player’s “brand” can negotiate with the MLBPA for the right to feature players in marketing, branding, and other initiatives.
The Major League Baseball Players Trust aims to fund community development and allows MLB players to shine a light on specific topics or issues affecting their own communities. Some of the programs that are funded through the MLB Players Trust include: Buses for Baseball, a program that aims to help grow popularity in the game of baseball for the youth across America, the Michael Weiner Scholarship, which provides financial assistance for 30 students annually to help with education costs, and the Players Choice Awards, with are voted by the players and each winner names a charity to receive a grant from the MLB Players Trust.
During the 2020 season, in which the COVID-19 pandemic led to the cancellation of the minor league baseball season, the MLB Players Trust donated over $2 million to financially assist minor league players.
Each MLB club will name one player representative for all MLBPA-related business. Some team reps include first basemen Freddie Freeman of the Atlanta Braves and pitcher Andrew Miller of the St. Louis Cardinals.
History
Although there had been attempts to unionize by various other groups in the earlier years of the 20th century, the MLBPA finally succeeded in 1966. Marvin Miller was named the first executive director that year and held the position until 1983. See below for a full list of MLBPA executive directors.
Marvin Miller: 1966-1982
Ken Moffett: 1982-1982 (dismissed shortly after being named)
Marvin Miller: 1982-1983 (interim basis)
Donald Fehr: 1983-2009
Michael Weiner: 2009-2013
Tony Clark: 2013-present
In 1968 the MLBPA successfully negotiated the first Collective Bargaining Agreement with the MLB league office. Since its inception, the MLBPA has negotiated 13 separate CBAs and scored many victories on behalf of MLB players and staff.
Notable triumphs include, but are not limited to: increasing the minimum player salary figures, player arbitration and free agency rights, creation of a pension system, and the formation of joint MLBPA/MLB office initiatives such as the current domestic violence and drug agreements.
Summary
The MLBPA is a multidimensional foundation that assists MLB players and coaches in fulfilling all their needs and helps ensure they are properly represented. The MLBPA was the first union in professional sports and remains the only one to this day.
Along with the MLB league office, the MLBPA creates Major League Baseball as we know it and will continue to help grow and ensure the integrity of the game of baseball for the future.
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