The Major League Baseball Umpires Association (MLBUA) is an organization of

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...

(MLB)

umpire An umpire is an official in a variety of sports and competition, responsible for enforcing the rules of the sport, including sportsmanship decisions such as ejection. The term derives from the Old French nonper, ''non'', "not" and ''per'', ...

s. It was certified by the

National Labor Relations Board The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) is an independent agency of the federal government of the United States with responsibilities for enforcing U.S. labor law in relation to collective bargaining and unfair labor practices. Under the Na ...

on February 24, 2000, as the World Umpires Association (WUA) as a bargaining agent. It took over as the bargaining agent for MLB umpires after the 2000 MLB season, replacing the Major League Umpires Association (MLUA), which dated back to 1970. On July 17, 2018, it rebranded itself as the Major League Baseball Umpires Association.

Formation

The MLUA, led by longtime negotiating attorney Richie Phillips, was decertified by its member umpires (by a vote of 57 to 35) in February 2000, after Phillips' strategy of mass resignations in September 1999 backfired, with MLB simply accepting many of the resignations and promoting new umpires from the minor leagues. The WUA was created immediately afterward. Its first president was working umpire

John Hirschbeck John Francis Hirschbeck (born September 7, 1954) is a former umpire for Major League Baseball. He worked in the American League from 1984 to 1999 and worked in both leagues from 2000 to 2016. He was a crew chief at the time of his retirement, and ...

, who held the position from 2000 to 2009. He was replaced by Joe West in February 2009. The formation of the WUA allowed longtime umpires

Derryl Cousins Derryl Cousins (August 18, 1946October 19, 2020) was an American umpire in Major League Baseball (MLB), who worked in the American League (AL) from 1979 to 1999, and umpired throughout both leagues from 2000 until his retirement following the 20 ...

and

John Shulock John Richard Shulock (born April 29, 1947) is a former professional baseball umpire who worked in the American League from 1979 to 1999 and throughout Major League Baseball between 2000 and 2002. Shulock wore number 29 when the AL adopted them fo ...

to finally join the umpires' union. They were denied membership by the MLUA due to crossing the picket line during the 1979 umpires' strike. In December 2009, the WUA reached an agreement with MLB on a five-year labor agreement, to run through December 2014 – members of the union voted to ratify the contract in January 2010. A new labor contract was subsequently ratified in January 2015 and ran until the end of 2019. On July 17, 2018, the union rebranded itself as the Major League Baseball Umpires Association.

Leadership

As of 2021, board members Bill Miller (President),

Ted Barrett Edward George Barrett (born July 31, 1965) is an American umpire in Major League Baseball. He joined the American League's staff in 1994, and has worked throughout both major leagues since 2000. He has worked in twenty three play-off series, inclu ...

(Vice-President), and

Dan Bellino Daniel Anthony Bellino (born October 10, 1978) is an American umpire in Major League Baseball. Education Bellino was a catcher for his high school, Loyola Academy in Wilmette, Illinois. He attended Northern Illinois University and managed the me ...

(Secretary/Treasurer) make up the executive board for the union.

Will Little William Max Little III (born March 2, 1984) is an American Major League Baseball umpire. He was promoted to a full-time position in February 2015. He attended Science Hill High School in Johnson City, Tennessee, then studied biology at Milligan ...

Laz Díaz Lazaro Antonio Díaz Sr. (born March 29, 1963) is an American umpire in Major League Baseball wearing number 63, a reference to his year of birth. He joined the American League's full-time staff in 1999, and has worked throughout both major leag ...

Chris Conroy Christopher Patrick Conroy (born July 22, 1974) is an American Major League Baseball (MLB) umpire. He made his MLB debut on September 29, 2010. His uniform number is 98. Conroy was officially promoted to the full-time staff of MLB umpires on Ju ...

Chris Guccione Chris Guccione may refer to: * Chris Guccione (tennis) (born 1985), Australian tennis player * Chris Guccione (umpire) Christopher Gene Guccione (born June 24, 1974) is an American umpire in Major League Baseball. He wears number 68. Umpiring ca ...

Tom Hallion Thomas Francis Hallion (born September 5, 1956) is a retired Major League Baseball umpire who worked in the National League (NL) from 1985 to 1999 and in both major leagues from 2005 until 2022. He was promoted to crew chief in 2010. Hallion has ...

, and Tim Timmons compose the remainder of the governing body. All members of the governing and executive boards are active umpires. Legal counsel for the MLBUA is Altshuler Berzon LLP of San Francisco.

Presidents

(2000–2009) * Joe West (2009–2018) * Bill Miller (2019–present)

References

External links

* *{{Twitter, MLBUA * Major League Baseball labor relations Sports officiating Sports trade unions of the United States Trade unions established in 2000