WUA Secures Commissioner Meeting, Suspends Protest

World Umpires Association members will cease their wristband protest after the MLB Commissioner's Office agreed to meet with the union's governing board to hear the WUA's concerns.

Wristbands are off after just one day of protest.

The WUA's agreement to remove the protest white wrist band—which the union has described as a demonstration of "good faith" in exchange for MLB's willingness to meet with the board—comes nary one day after the WUA first announced its protest of what the Association declared, "The Office of the Commissioner's lenient treatment to abusive player behavior sends the wrong message to players and managers. It's 'open season' on umpires, and that's bad for the game."

The white wristband protest, the World Umpires Association wrote, would continue "until our concerns are taken seriously by the Office of the Commissioner."

Based on the language of their last sentence in Saturday's statement announcing the protest, WUA's action in removing the protest band pending the requested meeting logically signifies that the Office of the Commissioner has satisfied the requested standard of "until our concerns are taken seriously."

Stated the WUA on Sunday, "We appreciate the Commissioner's willingness to engage seriously on verbal attacks and other important issues that must be addressed."

The 2017 WUA Governing Board is comprised of:
Joe West (President)
Bill Miller (Vice President)
Jim Reynolds (Secretary-Treasurer)
Dan Bellino
Tim Timmons
Jeff Kellogg
Bill Welke
Ted Barrett
Hunter Wendelstedt