The MLBPA has hired veteran labor attorney BRUCE MEYER away from the NHLPA to the newly-created position of Senior Dir of Collective Bargaining & Legal. Meyer will begin his new job on Sept. 17 and report to MLBPA Exec Dir TONY CLARK. He had served as Senior Dir of Collective Bargaining, Policy & Legal for the NHLPA. Meyer said that he has been talking to Clark informally about the position for several months. "Tony is in the process of building a team that can accomplish all the goals that the players want to accomplish," Meyer said. The hiring comes at a time when the MLBPA is facing some labor issues, namely a cold free agent market for players last offseason, as well as a grievance that was filed earlier this year against four clubs -- the A’s, Marlins, Pirates and Rays -- alleging they failed to comply with the rules on how to spend revenue-sharing money. Meyer said he looked forward to meeting with MLB players and agents and MLBPA staff as soon as begins his new position. "I have been focusing full time on the hockey players and will continue to do so until my last day," Meyer said.
QUIET ON NHLPA ISSUES: Meyer declined to speak on some of the issues facing the NHLPA, noting it would not be appropriate now that he is leaving. He did say, "I had a great experience at the NHLPA and have nothing but respect for (Exec Dir DON FEHR) and his staff." The main attraction of the MLBPA is location, as Meyer's family lives in the N.Y. area and he has been commuting back and forth from Toronto. Meyer joined the NHLPA in the summer of '16, after working as outside counsel for sports unions, including the NFLPA, the NBPA and the NHLPA for 30 years as a partner at international law firm Weil. He said when he took the NHLPA job that he always wanted to work directly at a union and not just for a union. "I don't regret it," Meyer said. "It was a nice change for me. It was nice to work on the union side of the industry." Clark has been working to add expertise to the MLBPA staff this year. SHAILAGH MURRAY, a former adviser to PRESIDENT OBAMA and VICE PRESIDENT BIDEN, was quietly hired earlier this year by the MLBPA as a consultant for a communications project.
