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Minor league baseball players will have their first-ever collective bargaining agreement, as the Major League Baseball Players Association and MLB reached a five-year deal, league and union officials told USA TODAY Sports.
The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to comment publicly until after the official vote, which is expected to take place before Friday’s minor league opening day.
Minor leaguers will get a significant raise, with pay at least doubling at every level:
Complex leagues: $19,800, up from $4,800
Low-A: $26,200 from $11,000
High-A: $27,300 from $11,000
Double-A: $30,250 from $13,800
Triple-AAA: $35,800 from $17,500.
The MLBPA took over as the bargaining representative for players with minor league contracts in September and the league voluntarily recognizing the union.
“Joining with the most powerful union in professional sports ensures that this voice is heard where it matters most – at the bargaining table,” MLBPA director Tony Clark said in a September statement.
The deal comes after sweeping changes made to the minors in recent years with 43 franchises cut and the amateur draft shortened from 40 rounds to 20.
Earlier Wednesday, a $185 million settlement in a lawsuit by minor leaguers against MLB for violating federal minimum wage laws was approved by a federal judge in San Francisco.
This is a developing story
Contributing; Associated Press
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