Major League Baseball is backing proposed legislation in Florida that would exempt minor league players from the state’s minimum wage provisions, according to a report from Jason Garcia of Seeking Rents. Per Garcia, the bill was put in front of the Florida legislature two weeks ago. It is not yet known whether it will pass the legislature and, if it does, receive the necessary approval from governor Ron DeSantis.
MLB provided a statement on the matter, noting that it “serves nobody for minor league players to be treated like clock-punching workers who can only access the facilities at managed, scheduled times.”
Minor league players were explicitly exempted from federal minimum wage protection in 2018. The league-backed “Save America’s Pastime Act,” which was passed as part of a much broader omnibus spending bill, firmly carved out an exemption from federal minimum wage support for eligible players. That act, however, does not itself lay out an exemption from state wage protections. MLB is pushing for a change in the wording of the Florida statute that would make clear that Florida’s provision follows the federal law.
Even if statutory wage protections were lifted, minor league players would not be without recourse in their push for higher pay. They agreed to unionize last year, with the MLBPA taking the lead role in negotiating the inaugural collective bargaining agreement for minor leaguers. Wages are a mandatory subject of collective bargaining. Evan Drellich of ‘The Athletic’ notes that collectively bargained minimum wages, once agreed upon in the still-pending minor league CBA, are likely to land higher than state laws requirements
That’d perhaps make MLB’s desire for exemption from state wage protection a moot point. It’s possible exemption could give the league more leverage in CBA negotiations, although a league spokesperson told Garcia and Drellich their efforts are “not about collective bargaining.” Rather, Drellich suggests the efforts could be better seen as protection against potential future lawsuits after the league was dealt a defeat in a California court last year.
In March, in response to a minor league class action lawsuit, a California district court judge rejected MLB’s argument that minor leaguers were seasonal employees exempted from minimum wage protections. That judgment was justified on Arizona and Florida law. As part of that litigation, the court rejected a league argument that the “Save America’s Pastime Act” should have automatically exempted players from Florida’s state protections based on a reading of the Florida statute — one which the legislature is now considering amending in light of the court’s decision.
That ruling resulted in the awarding of back pay for previous unpaid work in Spring Training. A trial to determine the extent of damages was set for the start of June, before the sides agreed to a $185MM settlement. That settlement resolved litigation which had lasted nearly a decade.
The settlement also lifted a league prohibition on teams paying minor leaguers for Spring Training work, though it did not impose requirements on clubs to do so. That’s sure to be a discussion point in forthcoming CBA negotiations. Those began in November. MLBPA executive director Tony Clark told Drellich last week the minor leagues were expected to run as scheduled even if no agreement is in place by Opening Day.
