PITTSBURGH — Commissioner of Major League Baseball Rob Manfred made the decision to suspend all Uniform Employee Contracts across the league. The Pirates said Tuesday the organization will step in to pay those employees through May 31.
Breaking this down, this means MLB decided that teams can cut pay and lay off managers and coaches starting May 1. According to MLB Rule 3(i), all managers, coaches, trainers, salaried scouts and some baseball operations staff are required to sign a Uniform Employee Contract.
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Here is the statement in full from Pirates President Travis Williams:
"There is obviously a lot of uncertainty and speculation around the 2020 season. While the league is looking at multiple scenarios, each represents a significant negative impact to our operations. As has been the case throughout this rapidly-changing crisis, we are working hard to minimize its effect on our employees.
"Earlier today we held a conference call with our baseball operations employees who are on Uniform Employee Contracts to discuss the Commissioner’s decision to suspend all UECs across the league, and explain what that means for everyone.
"We informed the group that we will continue to pay them through May 31, while we evaluate the impact of the coronavirus on the 2020 season. We also told them that we are exploring an initial set of tiered salary reductions for highly-compensated employees in baseball and business operations, as well as other types of personnel adjustments.
"Part of what makes this situation so difficult is that nobody truly knows with absolute certainty what the short-term and long-term outlook will be moving forward. The coronavirus and its impact on our community and our sport evolves by the day.
“We wish that we didn’t have to have these conversations, but they have become necessary as this crisis continues to impact our operations. We will always keep the best interests of our employees and the organization in mind, and continue doing everything we can to support our community.”
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