1999 Major League Umpires Association mass resignation
Encyclopedia
The 1999 Major League Umpires Association mass resignation was a labor tactic used by the Major League Umpires Association
(MLUA) against Major League Baseball
(MLB) in 1999. Unable to strike
because they had a labor agreement in place at the time, more than 50 umpires
resigned in an attempt to force negotiations with MLB for a new labor agreement. However, MLB accepted the resignations of 22 umpires and hired new ones. The union membership became fractured on the issue, and 42 of the umpires tried to rescind their earlier action, but the MLUA was unable to retain the jobs of the 22 umpires whose resignations were accepted. The incident led to the decertification of the MLUA and the formation of a new union, the World Umpires Association
(WUA).
, the union was dealing with disagreements with MLB on a variety of issues. The league sought to make it easier to replace umpires, and proposed a restructuring of the umpiring system; instead of MLUA members answering to the American
and National League
s, MLB wanted them under the control of the commissioner. In addition, MLB wanted changes in the strike zone
that umpires called during games, which the umpires and MLUA leadership objected to. The MLUA also had a complaint against the Major League Baseball Players Association
, when it released a survey of players, which included umpire ratings, publicly. During the season, there were numerous disputes between umpires and MLB owners. One involved Tom Hallion
, who was suspended for three days by NL president Leonard Coleman
after bumping a player.
, the MLUA's leader, announced on July 15 that 57 umpires would resign, effective September 2. According to umpire Dave Phillips, the resignations were intended to force negotiations with MLB to gain a new contract, effective at the start of 2000. Richie Phillips added that MLUA members stood to gain about $15 million of severance pay. The union intended to have the leagues negotiate in the future with a newly formed corporation, to be created after the mass resignation occurred.
Out of the 68 MLB umpires, all but two were members of the MLUA. Fifty-four of them sent letters of resignation to the two leagues. Within a week, several of the umpires moved to rescind their earlier actions. One of them, Dave Phillips, said that "Most people in that room thought they (the resignation letters) were going to be signed but not sent." He said that the umpires thought they could rescind any time before September 2, which was not the case. In response, Richie Phillips called his views "nonsense". The union filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court in Philadelphia on July 26, seeking to allow withdrawals. One day later, the MLUA's request for a temporary restraining order was turned down by judge Edmund V. Ludwig
. Later that day, the 42 umpires whose resignations were still active rescinded as a group.
The leagues accepted the resignations of 13 umpires from the National League and 9 from the American League, hiring replacements from the minor leagues. On August 3, the union filed unfair labor practice charges against MLB with the National Labor Relations Board
(NLRB). A week later, the MLUA dropped the suit it had filed in federal court in July. The president of the MLUA, Jerry Crawford
, left the prospect of a strike open. In response, the presidents of the two leagues threatened to fire any umpire who took part in a strike.
On August 27, the MLUA requested arbitration from the American Arbitration Association
, but both leagues turned it down. The MLUA then returned to U.S. District Court three days later, in hopes of obtaining an injunction against the leagues' acceptances of the resignations. Instead of the quick ruling the union was seeking, judge Curtis Joyner desired negotiations between the sides, which he oversaw. On September 1, the parties agreed on a severance package, which confirmed the loss of the 22 umpires' jobs. The MLUA pledged not to strike in the agreement.
and John Hirschbeck
publicly supported the idea of a new union with different leadership; Brinkman said, "There's no room for Richie Phillips in this new organization." Phillips, along with his backers, criticized the umpires seeking his ouster, saying they were at fault for what happened in July.
Ballots were sent to all umpires in early November, allowing the umpires to vote on whether they wanted the MLUA or a replacement union to represent them. Those whose resignations had been accepted were sent ballots in the decertification election, as were the new hires. On November 30, the NLRB tallied the votes and revealed that the Organizing Committee had garnered 57 votes, as opposed to 35 for the MLUA. The MLUA appealed to the NLRB, but a hearing officer upheld the results on January 21. One final appeal was issued by the MLUA, but a three-person NLRB panel rejected it in February, and certified the WUA as the umpires' new union.
was given a supervisor position. In late 2004, a labor agreement between MLB and the MLUA gave jobs back to three more umpires, while the remaining six gained severance pay. By that time, half of the terminated umpires were working again in MLB.
Major League Umpires Association
The Major League Umpires Association was a union for the umpires of both the American League and the National League. It was formed in 1970. It was superseded by the World Umpires Association which became the bargaining agent for MLB umpires before the 2000 season.-History:After a one-day strike by...
(MLUA) against Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
(MLB) in 1999. Unable to strike
Strike action
Strike action, also called labour strike, on strike, greve , or simply strike, is a work stoppage caused by the mass refusal of employees to work. A strike usually takes place in response to employee grievances. Strikes became important during the industrial revolution, when mass labour became...
because they had a labor agreement in place at the time, more than 50 umpires
Umpire (baseball)
In baseball, the umpire is the person charged with officiating the game, including beginning and ending the game, enforcing the rules of the game and the grounds, making judgment calls on plays, and handling the disciplinary actions. The term is often shortened to the colloquial form ump...
resigned in an attempt to force negotiations with MLB for a new labor agreement. However, MLB accepted the resignations of 22 umpires and hired new ones. The union membership became fractured on the issue, and 42 of the umpires tried to rescind their earlier action, but the MLUA was unable to retain the jobs of the 22 umpires whose resignations were accepted. The incident led to the decertification of the MLUA and the formation of a new union, the World Umpires Association
World Umpires Association
The World Umpires Association is an organization of Major League Baseball umpires. It was certified by the National Labor Relations Board on February 24, 2000 as a bargaining agent. It took over as bargaining agent for MLB umpires before the 2000 MLB season, replacing the Major League Umpires...
(WUA).
Background
Entering the 1999 MLB season1999 Major League Baseball season
The previous record of most home runs hit in a season, set at 5,064 in 1998, was broken once again as the American League and National League combined to hit 5,528 home runs. Moreover, it was the first season in 61 years to feature a team that scored 1,000 runs in a season, as the Cleveland Indians...
, the union was dealing with disagreements with MLB on a variety of issues. The league sought to make it easier to replace umpires, and proposed a restructuring of the umpiring system; instead of MLUA members answering to the American
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
and National League
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
s, MLB wanted them under the control of the commissioner. In addition, MLB wanted changes in the strike zone
Strike zone
In baseball, the strike zone is a conceptual right pentagonal prism over home plate which defines the boundaries through which a pitch must pass in order to count as a strike when the batter does not swing.-Definition:...
that umpires called during games, which the umpires and MLUA leadership objected to. The MLUA also had a complaint against the Major League Baseball Players Association
Major League Baseball Players Association
The Major League Baseball Players Association is the union of professional major-league baseball players.-History of MLBPA:The MLBPA was not the first attempt to unionize baseball players...
, when it released a survey of players, which included umpire ratings, publicly. During the season, there were numerous disputes between umpires and MLB owners. One involved Tom Hallion
Tom Hallion
Thomas Francis "Tom" Hallion is an American umpire in Major League Baseball who has worked in the National League from 1985 to 1999 and throughout both major leagues since 2005. He is currently a crew chief. Hallion is well known for his exciting and demonstrative strikeout signal in which he...
, who was suspended for three days by NL president Leonard Coleman
Leonard Coleman
Leonard Coleman is a former American football player who played cornerback in the National Football League in the 1980s. He played college football at Vanderbilt University and was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts in the 1984 NFL Draft, the first player drafted by the team, following its...
after bumping a player.
Resignations
On July 14, the umpires held a meeting in Philadelphia. There, they held a vote proposing a strike, which passed; however, a collective bargaining agreement was still in place. With that in mind, the union decided on a different course of action: a mass resignation by umpires. Richie PhillipsRichie Phillips
Richard G. Phillips is the former general counsel and executive director of the 52-member Major League Umpires Association , having held those positions from 1978 to 2000. He is most notable for recommending that the union baseball umpires resign en masse effective September 2, 1999 to leverage...
, the MLUA's leader, announced on July 15 that 57 umpires would resign, effective September 2. According to umpire Dave Phillips, the resignations were intended to force negotiations with MLB to gain a new contract, effective at the start of 2000. Richie Phillips added that MLUA members stood to gain about $15 million of severance pay. The union intended to have the leagues negotiate in the future with a newly formed corporation, to be created after the mass resignation occurred.
Out of the 68 MLB umpires, all but two were members of the MLUA. Fifty-four of them sent letters of resignation to the two leagues. Within a week, several of the umpires moved to rescind their earlier actions. One of them, Dave Phillips, said that "Most people in that room thought they (the resignation letters) were going to be signed but not sent." He said that the umpires thought they could rescind any time before September 2, which was not the case. In response, Richie Phillips called his views "nonsense". The union filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court in Philadelphia on July 26, seeking to allow withdrawals. One day later, the MLUA's request for a temporary restraining order was turned down by judge Edmund V. Ludwig
Edmund V. Ludwig
Edmund V. Ludwig is a United States federal judge.Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Ludwig received an A.B. from Harvard University in 1949 and an LL.B. from Harvard Law School in 1952. He was in the United States Army Reserve Captain, JAG Corps from 1953 to 1956. He was in private practice in...
. Later that day, the 42 umpires whose resignations were still active rescinded as a group.
The leagues accepted the resignations of 13 umpires from the National League and 9 from the American League, hiring replacements from the minor leagues. On August 3, the union filed unfair labor practice charges against MLB with the National Labor Relations Board
National Labor Relations Board
The National Labor Relations Board is an independent agency of the United States government charged with conducting elections for labor union representation and with investigating and remedying unfair labor practices. Unfair labor practices may involve union-related situations or instances of...
(NLRB). A week later, the MLUA dropped the suit it had filed in federal court in July. The president of the MLUA, Jerry Crawford
Jerry Crawford
Gerald Joseph Crawford is a former umpire in Major League Baseball. He first umpired in the National League in 1977, from 2000 through 2010 worked in both major leagues. He was a crew chief from 1998 through 2010...
, left the prospect of a strike open. In response, the presidents of the two leagues threatened to fire any umpire who took part in a strike.
On August 27, the MLUA requested arbitration from the American Arbitration Association
American Arbitration Association
The American Arbitration Association is a private enterprise in the business of arbitration, and one of several arbitration organizations that administers arbitration proceedings. The AAA also administers mediation and other forms of alternative dispute resolution. It is headquartered in New York...
, but both leagues turned it down. The MLUA then returned to U.S. District Court three days later, in hopes of obtaining an injunction against the leagues' acceptances of the resignations. Instead of the quick ruling the union was seeking, judge Curtis Joyner desired negotiations between the sides, which he oversaw. On September 1, the parties agreed on a severance package, which confirmed the loss of the 22 umpires' jobs. The MLUA pledged not to strike in the agreement.
MLUA division and decertification
A group of remaining umpires was critical of the mass resignation and moved for the creation of a new union and decertification of the MLUA in October; the Major League Umpires Independent Organizing Committee, the name the group went by, primarily consisted of American League umpires. The Organizing Committee's main motivation was to force out Richie Phillips. Joe BrinkmanJoe Brinkman
Joseph Norbert Brinkman is a former umpire in Major League Baseball who worked in the American League from 1973 to 1999 and throughout both major leagues from 2000 until his retirement during the 2006 season....
and John Hirschbeck
John Hirschbeck
John Francis Hirschbeck is an umpire in Major League Baseball who has worked in the American League from 1984 to 1999 and throughout both major leagues since 2000; he is currently a crew chief. On February 28, 2000, Hirschbeck was elected as the first president of the newly certified World Umpires...
publicly supported the idea of a new union with different leadership; Brinkman said, "There's no room for Richie Phillips in this new organization." Phillips, along with his backers, criticized the umpires seeking his ouster, saying they were at fault for what happened in July.
Ballots were sent to all umpires in early November, allowing the umpires to vote on whether they wanted the MLUA or a replacement union to represent them. Those whose resignations had been accepted were sent ballots in the decertification election, as were the new hires. On November 30, the NLRB tallied the votes and revealed that the Organizing Committee had garnered 57 votes, as opposed to 35 for the MLUA. The MLUA appealed to the NLRB, but a hearing officer upheld the results on January 21. One final appeal was issued by the MLUA, but a three-person NLRB panel rejected it in February, and certified the WUA as the umpires' new union.
Aftermath
Although the MLUA was no longer representing active umpires, it still did so for the 22 who lost their jobs. In negotiations for a new labor agreement, which was signed in September 2000, the MLUA turned down an offer from MLB owners that would have seen 13 umpires brought back. An arbitrator ordered in December 2001 that nine of the twenty-two umpires be reinstated, and MLB reached an agreement to do so in February 2002; four of the umpires retired with back pay. Three umpires were rehired by MLB in 2002, and Rich GarciaRich Garcia
Richard Raul Garcia is a former umpire in Major League Baseball who worked in the American League from 1975 to 1999...
was given a supervisor position. In late 2004, a labor agreement between MLB and the MLUA gave jobs back to three more umpires, while the remaining six gained severance pay. By that time, half of the terminated umpires were working again in MLB.