Major League Baseball Players Union endorses UNITE HERE Drive

Earlier I posted on UNITE HERE's attempt to organize concession workers at the Rogers Centre in Toronto. Thus far, they have received help by actor and labour activist Danny Glover. It now seems that the organizing drive is getting a big boost from the Major League Baseball Players Association.

Donald Fehr, executive director of the Major League Baseball Players Association, has written a letter of support for the union drive being conducted by UNITE HERE, which represents 50,000 hotel, food service, garment and manufacturing workers in Canada.

In the letter, Mr. Fehr says union membership brings power to workers, and endorses the organization.

"Members of UNITE HERE work in ballparks all over North America and enjoy decent and fair wages and working conditions," he writes.

"We have been able to negotiate better working conditions over the years - you have taken the first step to do that as well.

"Other stadium workers have bargained better health benefits and better wages."

I find this surprising because I have rarely heard from the MLBPA (or any other sporting union) on any issue besides their own. This boost is potentially the break that UNITE needs in this drive. It's great that the players union is supportive of other workers attempting to better their working conditions and their lives. I wonder if Blue Jays players will be making the rounds in this organizing drive??