Minor league advocacy group demands $15,000 salaries

A collection of former and current players have formed an advocacy group asking that Major League Baseball roughly double salaries in the minors to $15,000 per season.

Advocates for Minor Leaguers is led by Garrett Broshuis, a former pitcher and the lawyer who has represented players in lawsuits alleging minor league salaries violate minimum wage laws. The group said it “will strive to provide a collective voice for minor leaguers."

The announcement was made amid a particularly tense week for minor league players, most of whom make $5,000-$10,000 per season. Many have been shut out of their spring training camps due to the coronavirus pandemic, despite their reliance on those complexes for food, training facilities and often housing.

“This past week really provided an example of why this group needed to be out there,” Broshuis said.

The Major League Baseball Players Association represents only those on 40-man rosters, leaving roughly 100 or more players per franchise without representation. Broshuis said Advocates for Minor Leaguers is a nonprofit group and not a union, but he is hoping one is formed eventually, perhaps with his association's support.

Minor league hockey players have their own union, and an effort is underway to organize NBA G League players.

“Would I like to see a minor league union in the future? Yeah, I think that would be a great situation for minor league players," Broshuis said.

Broshuis said the group has not reached out to MLB about its concerns. Asked how the group would get the league to take its concerns seriously, he said “it’s going to be a long road” and his goal right now is to ensure "players out there to know we’ll be fighting for them.”

MLB responded to a request for comment by pointing to its statement Thursday...

source https://www.chron.com/sports/article/Minor-league-advocacy-group-demands-15-000-15145794.php