The Massachusetts House has approved a wage law carveout for minor league baseball players. The exemption, included in the House economic development bill, would exclude minor league players compensated under a collective bargaining agreement from the state’s minimum wage law and associated daily/weekly hours record-keeping requirements.
Local Impact
The Worcester Red Sox, the only Massachusetts team covered by the minor league CBA, would be affected by this exemption. The team is a AAA affiliate of the Boston Red Sox and has been based in Worcester since 2021.
Rep. James O’Day of West Boylston, a Worcester native, originated the language for the exemption. At least nine other states have taken similar steps to exclude minor league ballplayers from narrow selections of wage and hour laws.
Minor leaguers unionized under the MLB Players Association in 2022 and ratified their first-ever collective bargaining agreement in March 2023. The five-year deal includes raises guaranteed through 2027.
Original reporting: NBC10 Boston — read the source article.
