KBO Players Vote to Unionize
By Kang Seung-woo
Staff Reporter
The Korea Professional Baseball Players Association (KPBPA) will move to organize after Korea Baseball Organization players voted in favor of unionizing at a meeting in Seoul, Wednesday.
But the bill is just the latest step in the KPBPA's efforts and will face strong opposition from the pro baseball league's eight clubs.
The association, which has been working since April to establish a union, held a meeting where 273 of the league's 530 players were present. The motion was approved by a vote of 188 in favor and 17 opposed.
Sixty-eight players from the Samsung Lions and LG Twins did not cast a vote.
Samsung Group, the parent company of the Lions, has a no-labor-union policy, and the Twins saw a decrease in support from LG Group in 2000 when players tried to form the players association.
According to the KPBPA's articles of association, a bill can be passed by a majority vote when the majority of members are present in the meeting.
"Today's outcome will play an important role in developing Korean pro baseball. The players association will do its utmost in transforming the association into the union and try to prevent any players from having any disadvantages in the process,'' KPBPA President and Lotte Giants pitcher Son Min-han said.
The pro baseball governing body immediately voiced its opposition to the move.
"We cannot allow a union led by a few ill-intended people that exploit players,'' KBO Secretary General Lee Sang-il said.
"Player are not workers, but individual income earners. So I wonder if the Ministry of Labor will authorize them."
According to Lee, baseball players do not fall under the Industrial Accident Compensations Registration, which is applied to workers.
"And if they are allowed to form a union, each team is likely to file an administrative litigation that they are not qualified to form a union.''
Son told reporters that the Players Association had been trying to talk to the KBO about the rights and interests of players for the last two years, but the league neglected the issue, which led to movement to set up the organization.
But the KBO dismissed Son's claims.
"The players asked the KBO for 11 amendments to league regulations last year, but this year they did not ask for any."
The teams also expressed their disapproval of the players' decision.
"(Less than) 40 percent of the total enrollment voted in favor. We need to hear from the rest of the players, too. I do not acknowledge the result,'' said Giants general manager Lee Sang-koo.
"When teams start making profits, then we can think about a players' union, but none do so. Players do not understand the real situation,'' LG Twins general manager Lee Young-hwan said.