A three-hour meeting between MLB Acting Commissioner Bud
Selig and MLBPA reps "did nothing to settle" MLB's labor dispute,
according to Tom Haudricourt of the MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL.
Selig, accompanied by four other owners, met MLBPA Exec Dir Don
Fehr and union reps, to seek "two significant changes" in the
proposed CBA. Owners want to drop the union's tax-free option
year in 2001 and also limiting the number of clubs subject to the
luxury tax. Haudricourt reports Fehr spent "a good portion of
the meeting going through the negotiating process step-by-step
while reminding Selig he had promised on several occasions to
back any agreement reached by (management negotiator Randy)
Levine." Selig: "I'm not going to comment on the substance of
it. We had a lengthy discussion with a lot of candor" (MILWAUKEE
JOURNAL SENTINEL, 11/12). Fehr told owners the union "had
neither the authority not the willingness to renegotiate" (BOSTON
GLOBE, 11/12). One management source: "It's on life support,
but it's not dead yet" (Ross Newhan, L.A. TIMES, 11/12).
RED ALERT: ESPN's Jimmy Roberts: "After the meeting on
Monday, Selig was upbeat. People on the players side, however,
were not" ("SportsCenter," ESPN, 11/11). CNN's Mark Morgan:
"Selig's proposals fell on deaf ears" ("Sports Tonight," CNN,
11/11). ESPN's Peter Pascarelli: "It looks like the nuclear
winter is back in baseball. According to sources from the
players side, they were shocked by what went on today. The
owners came in, made their proposals in terms of changing things
that had already been agreed to, and then said they weren't
willing to discuss them. According to the [union] people
involved, they've never seen anything like this before in labor
talks. Unless the owners change their current positions,
according to the same players representatives, there is no chance
there will be a deal" ("SportsCenter," ESPN, 11/11). ESPN's Karl
Ravech noted Fehr reportedly asked Selig: "Who on the owners side
has the authority to make a deal?" Selig reportedly responded,
"I do" ("SportsCenter," ESPN, 11/11). Fehr "seemed irritated by
the visit" (David Lennon, NEWSDAY, 11/12). In New York, Murray
Chass notes Selig "could let talks die and face an uncertain
future," or take a second vote of ownership of last week's deal.
Chass notes "it would be highly unlikely that Fehr would agree to
a negotiate with anyone but Selig in future talks" (N.Y. TIMES,
11/12).
WHAT DEADLINE? A Friday deadline had been reached to
finalize a deal before MLB continued under its current rules, but
it could be extended "if owners and players make any progress,"
according to USA TODAY's Hal Bodley. Selig "indicated an
extension is possible," while Fehr "isn't as optimistic" (USA
TODAY, 11/12). But Selig seemed firmer on the deadline to the
N.Y. TIMES' Murray Chass, noting, "It's a fair deadline. We have
scheduling problems." The two sides will speak by phone today
(N.Y. TIMES, 11/12).
