A former economist and negotiator for the United Steelworkers union, Marvin Miller was elected head of the Major League Baseball Players Association in 1966, transforming the player's union into one of the strongest unions in the United States. During Miller's era as leader of the Major League Baseball Player's Association, the average player's salary increased from $19,000 to $241,000 a year.In 1968, he negotiated the MLBPA's first collective bargaining agreement with the owners, an agreement that saw the minimum playing salary rise from $6, 000 to $10,000, the first increase in two decades. In 1970, Miller fought to have arbitration included in the collective bargaining agreement, allowing for salary disputes to be settled by an independent arbitrator. This was a significant achievement in the early years of the baseball union as previous disputes were taken before the owner-appointed Commissioner, who normally ruled in favor of the owners.Miller also helped to eradicate the reserve clause in baseball, a clause that tied players to a team for one year beyond the end of an existing contract and freezing the player's ability to determine his own career.