Contradicting the recent statements of union leader Donald Fehr, the Major League Baseball Players Association has begun taking preliminary steps toward what could be a second season-ending strike in the last nine years.
Gene Orza, associate general counsel of the union, confirmed a lack of movement in labor talks has prompted the union to consider the best time to strike.
“You never want to have to discuss it, but you have obligations to consider that contingency,” Orza told The New York Times. “It’s in the very formative stages. We haven’t mentioned a day or date but we have to start considering strike dates. . . . [But] nothing would make us happier than to . . . have a deal.”
In an interview at the union office last Friday, Fehr indicated players were not yet moving toward a possible strike.
“All I can say about that is we haven’t considered setting a strike date yet, we haven’t talked about it, we hope we never have to,” he said.
Fehr apparently delivered another message Tuesday when he met with a group of player agents. Talk about setting a strike date, though not surprising, still disappointed owners.
“For them to rattle their strike-date cage is frankly disappointing and, in my view, counterproductive,” said Bob DuPuy, Major League Baseball’s chief operating officer. “We didn’t put proposals on the table designed to provoke a work stoppage. There’s no salary cap. . . . We put proposals on the table that were designed to allow bargaining to an agreement.”
In 1994 the union went on strike Aug. 12, hoping owners would give in to save the postseason. When Bud Selig, then chairman of baseball’s executive committee, held management together the playoffs were canceled Sept. 14.
Many believe the union will follow that same formula in an attempt to get owners to back off demands to create a 50 percent tax on all payrolls in excess of $98 million while increasing revenue sharing from 20 percent to 50 percent. Union sources have told the Tribune, however, that players could walk as late as the final week of the season this year.
In 1994 players forfeited 7 1/2 weeks of paychecks without gaining any concession from owners. With the average salary at almost $2.4 million, to risk that much of the season could cost the average player nearly $700,000. Texas shortstop Alex Rodriguez, baseball’s highest-paid player, would stand to lose about $6 million if players went on strike in mid-August.
The sides are scheduled to resume talks May 23 but it could be mid-June before they meet.
