Thread by @EugeneFreedman

This is a revealing and damning article about how minor leaguers have to live to make ends meet. And, yet, MLB is still trying to squeeze more savings out of its lowest paid employees - those who make less than minimum wage. @Britt_Ghiroli has been really killing it lately 1/

https://twitter.com/Britt_Ghiroli/status/1493593200182927363

for @TheAthletic.

One thing that struck me was this paragraph. Because it is quite American. America was founded with a premise that forced labor from people in bondage was the norm. Company towns that required employees and their families to live pay rent to their employer 2/

buy food, clothes, and essentials from a company owned store (the only store), and essentially earn nothing for their labors was common. Employers hiring Pinkertons or police to beat workers who demanded better wages & working conditions was acceptable.

Making money off 3/

the labors of other people is as American as it gets.

It may feel un-American, but it's an accurate reflection of how the system was setup and how it continues to operate.

Just an example I am personally familiar with. My union represents air traffic controllers at FAA 4/

In George W. Bush Administration, the FAA Administrator cut the pay of trainees at the FAA Academy (before they became bargaining unit employees represented by our union) to the lowest possible federal employee pay. ~$18,000/yr but for only 3-4 months of training. She also 5/

eliminated their per diem. So, these trainees, who had to move to Oklahoma City for 3-4 months, leaving their families behind, to live in temporary housing, received low pay, no meal money, and no travel expenses. Many who had families had to go on welfare, tapping the state's 6/

system to subsidize the federal government's training program. Although we didn't represent them, we lobbied to get their per diem back and during the Obama Administration it was restored, so at least they got money to buy meals.

Just recently, by Executive Order, almost 20 7/

years later, President Biden is requiring a $15/hr minimum wage for all federal employees, so finally these trainees will go back to receiving a living wage.

But, these trainees are nearly impossible to organize and represent. They are there for only 3-4 months. They have 8/

a relatively high wash out rate, meaning, many don't make it through training. But, once you make it through training and the on-the-job training at your facility, you get a good, even great wage and great benefits.

So, like minor leaguers, people are willing to sacrifice 9/

to get there. It's not fair or right to take advantage of the demand for these trainee positions by paying them poverty wages either in air traffic control or in baseball.

The system that allows it is abhorrent and unacceptable, but it's definitely American.