The Major League Baseball lockout continues to drift on without an end in sight. Now in day number 93, there is no scheduled negotiating session Friday, although reports say both sides could still communicate by phone. There was little or no progress after a 90-minute meeting Thursday.
All Spring Training games through March 11th are cancelled and the entire first week of the regular season schedule has been cancelled by Commissioner Rob Manfred.
Now, the MLBPA, the union that represents players, is stepping up with relief efforts for workers who are affected by the stalled negotiations.
In a statement released Friday morning, the players are launching a $1 million fund for workers affected by “the MLB owners’ lockout”.
“The fund will be administered by Major League Baseball Players Association and the AFL-CIO and distributed to stadium workers and others who face financial hardship through no fault of their own due to the MLB franchise owners’ lockout,” the statement reads.
“There are a lot of people who make our game great. Many aren’t seen or heard, but they are vital to the entertainment experience of our games,” MLBPA Executive Board leaders Andrew Miller and Max Scherzer said Thursday. “Unfortunately, they will also be among those affected by the owner-imposed lockout and the cancellation of games. Through this fund, we want to let them know that they have our support.”
The fund is intended to support the thousands of workers behind the scenes, such as concession crews, electricians, ushers, security, transportation, janitors, groundskeepers, and even television and radio broadcasting crews.
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