Committee hears bill to exempt minor-league baseball players from Oregon wage-and-hour rules when covered by active CBA

House Committee on Labor and Workforce Standards members on March 5 heard testimony on House Bill 3550, a bill that would exempt minor-league baseball players from portions of Oregon’s wage-and-hour laws when those players are covered by an active collective bargaining agreement (CBA).

Sponsor Representative Dacia Graber, who represents House District 28, told the committee the exemption is narrow and applies only while a CBA is in effect, so players would still be covered by state wage-and-hour protections if a CBA were to lapse. “This exemption only applies when a collective bargaining agreement is actively in place,” Graber said.

Josh Alkin, senior vice president of government relations for Major League Baseball, testified in favor, saying MLB and the Major League Baseball Players Association support the change and that the 2023 CBA incorporates…