MLBPA Exec Dir Michael Weiner yesterday during a speech at the National Press Club in DC said last year's labor negotiations with MLB achieved their successful results due to a joint recognition of the power of each side and of collective bargaining in general. The five-year deal, announced last November, contains a wide range of significant changes to the game including a new postseason format, realignment and vast changes to revenue sharing and health policies. It was reached without even the threat of a work stoppage. "Neither revenue nor profitability (in baseball) explains our results," Weiner said. "Collective bargaining is about power. And baseball owners have come to respect the collective power of their bargaining adversaries. That respect was earned. ... Each side was willing to recognize a good idea, regardless of where it came from. And we avoided a work stoppage because of the respect each side has for the other." Weiner acknowledged that at numerous times during the labor talks there were heated arguments and some abruptly ended bargaining sessions. But due to that joint respect and an agreement to not air grievances publicly, "this negotiation touched more parts of our labor agreement than any other in which I've been involved." Weiner also discussed labor battles currently being fought in other industries, particularly public-sector workers and teachers, adding, "Collective bargaining gives workers a voice in the ongoing fight for their rights. And the economic health of this country will not be revitalized by depriving workers of their rights."
