MLB, players association pledges $2M to ballpark workers

By Madeline Ackley Salazar
Mail | Twitter: @Mkayackley

Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Association have been locked in contract negotiations for months, resulting in canceled spring training games and lost wages for stadium workers including concession workers, security, grounds crew and game operators. 

 But now MLB and the players association have come together to pledge $1 million to help seasonal workers recoup lost wages. 

“We hope this fund will alleviate some of the financial concerns they have faced due to missed Grapefruit and Cactus League games this spring,” baseball commissioner Robert D. Manfred said in a statement. 

“Regrettably, the people who make Spring Training a first-class experience for our fans have been affected through no fault of their own.”

The announcement comes one week after the MLB Players Association pledged $1 million for stadium workers. 

READ: Spring training cancelations mean refunds in Goodyear

The city of Goodyear employs approximately 112 seasonal workers who would ordinarily be employed as concessionaires, janitors and security, but are sitting on the sidelines as the lockout continues. 

The part-time and seasonal employees “are on standby,” said Goodyear spokesperson Tammy Vo, “but not working until games resume.”

MLB announced that the money will be administered to clubs and doled out “based on financial need,” though the organization did not list specific criteria.

It is also unclear exactly how many seasonal workers are employed during spring training, and how impactful $2 million will be for thousands of workers dealing with lost wages. 

Madeline Ackley Salazar can be reached at mackley@iniusa.org or found on Twitter @Mkayackley.