(The Center Square) – Many state labor laws in Wisconsin no longer apply to Minor League Baseball players after Gov. Tony Evers signed legislation to redefine what counts as minimum wage, overtime and record keeping.
The bill allows the state’s players on the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers in Appleton and the Beloit Sky Carp to adhere to the rules of a 2023 collective bargaining agreement that runs through 2027 instead of being subject to reporting hours for their jobs.
Major League Baseball Senior Vice President of Government Relations Joshua Alkin explained in a public hearing on Senate Bill 374 that the legislation would allow players to receive housing benefits, club-provided meals, per diems on the road, highly subsidized health benefits, retirement benefits, salary continuation for disability resulting from work-related injury, tuition assistance and signing bonuses that are part of the CBA.
If the bill did not pass, teams would have to track all work-related activities for players and count rehab, any training and time spent at the ballpark or with the team toward overtime requirements.
“To be clear, we are not here because our collective bargaining agreement for Minor League players fails to meet state standards but because both MLB and the players’ own union believe that our negotiated compensation structure is more beneficial to the players and better fits their actual day-to-day experience,” Alkin said.
He explained that the minimum in-season salary for High A Minor League players is $920 per week, but that tracking hours would be difficult figuring out what counts and what doesn’t toward work hours.
“The experience of players is unique to hourly workers, who can only work at employers’ specified times,” Alkin said. “Indeed, Minor League players compete vigorously at and away from the ballpark to reach their dream of being called up to the major leagues, so it doesn’t benefit them to have their playing or practice time limited or access to club facilities and resources restricted due to having hourly worker status.”
Arkansas, California, Florida, Indiana and New York have passed similar bills, noted sponsor Rep. Alex Dallman, R-Markesan.
