Richie Phillips' 22-year tenure as MLBUA General
Counsel ended yesterday after the NLRB "rejected" his appeal
of a November vote that decertified the union and created
the World Umpires Association (WUA), headed by attorney Ron
Shapiro, according to Rod Beaton of USA TODAY. Former MLB
umpire Bob Davidson, whose resignation was accepted by the
league last year: "This is good news. ... [Phillips] can't
do the job anymore. Now there's a chance to win our jobs
back through negotiations." Phillips was unavailable for
comment yesterday (USA TODAY, 2/25). In DC, Richard Justice
writes that the new union is "expected to take a less
confrontational approach." AL umpire Tim Welke: "We have an
opportunity to unite the profession and do it in a very
strong way. We did everything through the proper channels.
Now it's time for the umpires to take a new direction"
(WASHINGTON POST, 2/25). So far, 50 of the 71 umpires
employed by the league have signed up for the new union
(Baltimore SUN, 2/25). In N.Y., Murray Chass writes that
the WUA "can begin negotiations with [MLB] for a labor
agreement to replace the one that expired" on December 31.
Officials from both sides said that they "thought talks
could begin next week," and negotiations for a new agreement
"will include a plan to place all umpires under the
commissioner's office" (N.Y. TIMES, 2/25).
