S8602

The New York State Senate passed legislation implementing a collective bargaining agreement for minor league baseball players, with Sen. Ramos casting the deciding vote in a 56-0 roll call. The bill (S8602, Calendar No. 1057) amends the Labor Law to codify terms negotiated between minor league players and Major League Baseball following the players' unionization in September 2022. According to Ramos, the agreement nearly doubles base pay for the 5,500 affected players, provides compensation for spring training work previously done without pay, and establishes just-cause employment protections. Ramos, who represents the Mets' home district, said she brokered the initial meeting between players and team ownership after minor leaguers—many of them immigrants—approached her in 2021 with accounts of working multiple jobs while earning below minimum wage. She noted that 99 percent of affected players voted to ratify the tentative contract. The legislation takes effect immediately upon passage.