MLB owners and players "essentially agreed" to terms of a
labor settlement that is "tentatively scheduled to be put to a
ratification vote of the owners next week," according to Mark
Maske of the WASHINGTON POST. Management negotiator Randy Levine
and MLBPA Exec Dir Donald Fehr "were reluctant" to declare an
agreement publicly, but one source close to the talks told Maske,
"I think it's essentially done." Maske notes the proposed deal
"closely resembles" the deal to which Fehr and Levine all but
agreed to in August (WASHINGTON POST, 10/25). Negotiating teams
worked throughout the day at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Atlanta.
Levine: "Today was a special day of progress." Fehr: "I feel
better today than I have in quite a while. I think we've made
considerable progress." Although MLB labor leaders "stopped
short" of announcing a deal, "their upbeat mood gave them away,"
according to Tom Haudricourt of the MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL.
Any deal would still need approval from 21 of 28 owners and
Acting Commissioner Bud Selig is expected to convene an owners
meeting in Chicago to vote on a deal, "perhaps as early as next
week" (MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL, 10/25). The MLBPA has
obtained pre-ratification of a new agreement from the players
before the end of the season. In New York, Murray Chass notes
both sides "apparently settled" unresolved issues and ownership
is "considering a meeting next week" (N.Y. TIMES, 10/25). Selig,
on a meeting of owners: "Right now is not the time. I don't think
you'll see anything to distract from a great World Series. But
I'm sure the Executive Council will want to take some action
after they are briefed by Randy [Levine]" (Larry Whiteside,
BOSTON GLOBE, 10/25).
THE DEAL: Sources close to talks told Ross Newhan of the
L.A. TIMES that players will get service time from the strike,
but a club losing a free agent player through a service time
restoration will get a compensatory amateur draft pick. The
union will still get an option year on the second, tax-free year
in 2001, but the "price for exercising that option has been
increased," above the earlier 60% of receipts from the division
series (L.A. TIMES, 10/25).
