Florida bill would exclude minor league baseball players from state's minimum wage
House legislators added an amendment that would also eliminate living-wage ordinances adopted by Palm Beach County.
Baseball started it. Uber-rich baseball team owners flocked to Tallahassee this year. Their goal: a legislative runaround.
Florida voters mandated a state $15-an-hour minimum wage in 2020, starting at $11 an hour and rising through 2025.
Owners want a loophole so they don’t have to pay Florida minor league players the $11.
Locally, that means players in fan favorites Palm Beach Cardinals and Jupiter Hammerheads minor league systems.
It’s a long-standing national dispute over stunningly low minor league wages. Florida has an outsized role because 12 minor league teams play here.
Jason Garcia reports House legislators tacked on an amendment that would also eliminate living-wage ordinances adopted by Palm Beach County.
For two decades, businesses contracting with PBC on construction and certain transportation projects have been required to pay living wages calculated by the county.
The House amendment essentially strips PBC and other counties, cities and towns of the ability to ensure workers on taxpayer-funded projects be paid something closer to a local living wage.
Two reasons to care: First, in this county, $11 an hour is a struggle wage.
A living wage is $18.12 an hour for a single person in Palm Beach County, according to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. For a family of four, the paycheck needs to top $40 an hour.
Second, the bill is part of a broader effort to consolidate power in Tallahassee, leaving local governments without the flexibility to make rules reflecting local needs.
What’s next? This week may determine whether the amended bill gets to a floor vote.
May as well go to a ballgame while we wait. The Hammerheads and Cardinals will play dozens of home games at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium in Jupiter this season. Check out the schedule here.
You’re reading a story from Stet Media Group. Support Palm Beach County journalism in the public interest with a free or paid subscription.