GaryMrMets
06-08-2002, 02:59 AM
http://newyork.mets.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/mlb/news/mlb_news.jsp?ymd=20020607&content_id=46299&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp
06/07/2002 8:46 pm ET
Minor progress in CBA negotiations
By Barry Bloom / MLB.com
NEW YORK -- Labor negotiators for Major League Baseball and the players association took a small step forward Friday by agreeing to a package of eight, secondary issues, said Rob Manfred, MLB's vice president of labor relations.
Among the completed items was length of schedule, medical and bus travel, Manfred said.
In Friday's Collective Bargaining Agreement session, the owners presented another package of eight items to be resolved, including split doubleheaders, Manfred said. "It was a very workmanlike session," he said.
Both sides are still far apart on the core economic issues, "and I'm not sure when we're going to get to that," Manfred said.
Another collective bargaining session is scheduled for next Tuesday in New York and four more are slated for later this month.
Greg Bouris, a spokesman for the union, agreed that Friday's round of discussions included little emphasis on the major issues. "There's no movement in those areas," he said.
The major issue is the economic state of the game.
MLB said baseball lost $519 million last season and accumulated about $300 million in additional debt. Since the strike that wiped out the 1994 postseason and delayed the start of the 1995 season, baseball has lost $1.4 billion, the owners said.
Initial economic proposals by both sides were rejected. The owners sought an increase in revenue sharing from 20 percent to 50 percent and a luxury tax on the portion of team player salaries above $98 million.
The players rejected the luxury tax outright and want an increase in revenue sharing of about 5 percent.
The last basic agreement, which was signed in the wake of the strike and extended once by the players, expired last November. The players have been playing under the auspices of the old contract since.
Prior to the season, owners pledged not to lock out the players or post new contract conditions before the end of the World Series. The players, though, didn't reciprocate and last month floated the idea of setting a strike date.
The union's executive council will meet in Chicago before the July 9 All-Star Game in Milwaukee to discuss the progress of negotiations.
Barry M. Bloom is regular contributor to MLB.com. This story was not subject to approval by Major League Baseball or any of its clubs.
06/07/2002 8:46 pm ET
Minor progress in CBA negotiations
By Barry Bloom / MLB.com
NEW YORK -- Labor negotiators for Major League Baseball and the players association took a small step forward Friday by agreeing to a package of eight, secondary issues, said Rob Manfred, MLB's vice president of labor relations.
Among the completed items was length of schedule, medical and bus travel, Manfred said.
In Friday's Collective Bargaining Agreement session, the owners presented another package of eight items to be resolved, including split doubleheaders, Manfred said. "It was a very workmanlike session," he said.
Both sides are still far apart on the core economic issues, "and I'm not sure when we're going to get to that," Manfred said.
Another collective bargaining session is scheduled for next Tuesday in New York and four more are slated for later this month.
Greg Bouris, a spokesman for the union, agreed that Friday's round of discussions included little emphasis on the major issues. "There's no movement in those areas," he said.
The major issue is the economic state of the game.
MLB said baseball lost $519 million last season and accumulated about $300 million in additional debt. Since the strike that wiped out the 1994 postseason and delayed the start of the 1995 season, baseball has lost $1.4 billion, the owners said.
Initial economic proposals by both sides were rejected. The owners sought an increase in revenue sharing from 20 percent to 50 percent and a luxury tax on the portion of team player salaries above $98 million.
The players rejected the luxury tax outright and want an increase in revenue sharing of about 5 percent.
The last basic agreement, which was signed in the wake of the strike and extended once by the players, expired last November. The players have been playing under the auspices of the old contract since.
Prior to the season, owners pledged not to lock out the players or post new contract conditions before the end of the World Series. The players, though, didn't reciprocate and last month floated the idea of setting a strike date.
The union's executive council will meet in Chicago before the July 9 All-Star Game in Milwaukee to discuss the progress of negotiations.
Barry M. Bloom is regular contributor to MLB.com. This story was not subject to approval by Major League Baseball or any of its clubs.