POWERPOINT CONSOLIDATE

groupthink_slides_1.pptx

Example #2

Mass Resignations of Major League Umpires

1999 – Major League Umpires Associations (MULA) staged a mass resignation with hopes of building greater negotiation power.

This misguided plan was devised by union boss Richie Phillips (pictured below).

Fig. 1

The Problem - Strike 1

The umpires disagreed with the league on a variety of issues including strike zones and pay (Chass, 1999).

The league wanted to restructure the umpiring system.

The umpire contracts were ending in December of 1999 and the umpires feared a lock out (Litke, 1999).

Fig. 2

The Plan of Action – Strike 2

The umpires union decided to fight back; 57 of the leagues 66 umpires submitted letters of resignation.

The union thought this would create chaos among the league.

This also cost the league $15 million in severance pay (Callan, 2012).

Fig. 3

Fig. 4

Consequences – Strike 3

The plan backfired; the baseball commissioner was unmoved by the resignations.

The commissioner had already accepted 22 resignations when umpires got cold feet and began rescinding their resignations (Callahan, 2012).

The MULA union was dissolved and a new union was formed.

Richie Phillips was fired.

Fig. 5

Groupthink Gone Wrong

The MULA was affected by the following Groupthink principles:

Illusion of Invulnerability: The MULA assumed they would be able to force the league to meet their demands by giving their resignations.

Direct Pressure: The umpires succumbed to direct pressure from their union leader to submit resignations.

Umpires later stated that they thought the letters would be used as a tool and never actually sent.

Fig. 6

References

Callan, M. (2012, October 12). Called Out: The Forgotten Baseball Umpires Strike of 1999. The Classical. Retrieved, March 28, 2016 from http://theclassical.org/articles/called-out-the-forgotten-baseball-umpires-strike-of-1999

Chass, M. (1999, July 15). Baseball; Umpires Threaten To Quit On Sept. 2. The New York Times. Retrieved March 30, 2016, from http://www.nytimes.com/1999/07/15/sports/baseball-umpires-threaten-to-quit-on-sept-2.html

Litke, J. (1999, September 1). Umpire makes a bad call. The Cabin. Retrieved March 29, 2016, from http://thecabin.net/stories/090199/spo_0901990049.html#.VvweFfkrKM8