By Jeff Gilbert
A word of warning as you hear coverage of the negotiations between major league ballplayers and owners:
Never listen to anything a sportscaster or sports writer says about labor negotiations.
They deal with games. What’s going on at the bargaining table is real life.
I’m in the odd position of being a huge baseball fan, but also somebody who’s covered labor talks for 40 years. That includes about a dozen sets of UAW-Detroit Three talks.
Let me guide you through the process.
REMEMBER THE GODFATHER RULE: IT'S NOT PERSONAL, IT'S BUSINESS
I'm a baseball fan. I have a half-season ticket package for the Tigers at Comerica Park. I'm looking forward to an interesting season ahead.
But, it's not about me... or you.
This is our pastime. For players and owners, it's their life and it's serious business, with billions of dollars at stake.
This will determine what ballplayers earn going forward. It will determine if owners post a profit or a loss.
So, please, enough with the, "They don't care about the fans."
Both sides care, but only up to a point. Just like you care about your team. But you go to more games when they are winning than when they are losing. Right?
It's a transactional relationship. We pay them to entertain us. We're not family. We never were.
Honestly, as a fan, I'm fine with a May start to the season. April can be pretty cold at Comerica Park.
When it's over, fans will return to teams that entertain them.
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DEADLINES ARE MADE TO BE MISSED
I've seen few deals that have been made by the deadline. Why? Because you might just get something extra if you hold out a bit longer.
Let me put it this way.
You have somebody going to your boss to negotiate a pay raise. Which would you rather hear?
"I made the deadline and got you an extra dollar an hour."
"We missed the deadline. But you got $10 more an hour."
Deadlines help give focus to the talks, but they are nothing more than guideposts.
HOW DO YOU KNOW WHEN A NEGOTIATOR IS LYING? THEIR LIPS ARE MOVING.
It's a giant game of poker. One side is outraged. The other cries poverty.
Some of this is meant for public perception, to get fans on your side. Some is meant to move the negotiations. That doesn't necessarily mean any of it is true.
NOTHING IS OFF THE TABLE UNTIL THE DEAL IS DONE
Owners are set to cancel games. Players won't extend the playoffs if they do. You need to act now.
But they are called negotiations for a reason. Everything is negotiable.
Games that are cancelled can be made up. Some extra cash could motivate players to do a shortened season with extra playoffs, even though they said they wouldn't.
TALKS AREN'T LIKE WHAT YOU SEE IN THE MOVIES
The time everybody spends around a big table arguing is minimal.
There is some of that, according to veteran negotiators. But generally proposals are arranged, taken back to be reviewed by accountants and lawyers, then responded to.
That's why the process takes so long... and it should. You want to make sure you really understand what you're agreeing to.
NEGOTIATIONS ARE THE ART OF THE POSSIBLE
That's a quote from former UAW President Ron Gettlefinger. The more people talk, the more they come up with common ground.
The idea that will settle this may not have even been brought forward yet. It can come up quickly and cause negotiations to pick up pace.
I'm actually more optimistic than I've ever been. I was betting on a mid-May start to the season. But now, I'm thinking we may see some April baseball at Comerica Park.
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