Labor Relations in Major League Baseball

Abstract

This article explores some of the roots and processes of the contentiousness surrounding baseball labor relations, assesses the new collective bargaining agreement, and examines the history of negotiations that contributed to its structure. The author offers explanations why the 2002 labor agreement is not efficiently structured to achieve its professed goals and argues that the perceived tensions that afflicted the industry in 2002 are not likely to disappear by 2007, when more substantive changes will need to be made in order to avoid another confrontation between labor and management.