MLB Umpires Union Blocks Background Checks

Now here's a classic Union vs. Employer showdown on a very public stage that we can all relate to as chronicled in the New York Times article Baseball and Umpires Clash Over Background Checks. Major League Baseball (MLB) is reacting to the latest National Basketball Association (NBA) referee gambling scandal and thinks it might do well to monitor the backgrounds of it's umpires. It appears that they have conducted background checks before umpires were hired, but have not been monitoring them throughout their employment. It also seems clear from this article that the scope of the background check did not include a credit report and that the consent that was granted at the time of hiring did not allow for post hire screening.

Now MLB is going back to the umpires and asking them to grant consent to perform further checks. In my opinion they are attempting look for any red flags that might suggest trouble. Rather than trying to understand what MLB is looking for and how they might use such information, the union appears to be angling for concessions completely unrelated to this topic. They've already threatened retaliation to a process that legally cannot take place without their consent. This should be interesting.

For more information on credit reports, click on the link below.
http://www.theverifier.net/verifier_13/page2.php