NEW YORK – Locked out for two months, Major League Baseball players have rejected a request to bring a federal mediator into the negotiations for the renewal of the collective agreement.
For all practical purposes, this decision means that the training camps will not start on the scheduled date (February 16).
Also, it accentuates the threat of this work stoppage vis-à-vis the date of the inaugural matches, which are to be held on March 31.
In a statement, the Players’ Association said Major League Baseball had agreed to submit a counter-proposal, but its officials decided to seek mediation instead.
The Players’ Association says it refused the request after consulting its executive board and after considering various elements.
“The best route to a fair and timely agreement is to return to the bargaining table,” the MLBPA said in a statement. Players are ready to chat.”
The team owners imposed a lockout on December 2, immediately after the conclusion of the old five-year-old collective agreement.
Since then, there have only been three negotiating sessions dealing with the main economic issues. There remains a wide gap between the two parties.
“With camps scheduled to start in less than two weeks, it is time to get immediate assistance from the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service to help us resolve the impasse,” Major League Baseball said in a statement. .
“Clearly, an impartial third party would facilitate an agreement. It’s hard to understand why a group wanting a settlement would reject the help of a specialist agency, which has had a lot of success with disputes in professional sports.”
Players blame landlords for lockout. Commissioner Rob Manfred said he wanted to avoid the risk of a strike late in the season like in 1994, when the World Series was canceled.
The players’ union is unhappy that the overall payroll fell to $4.05 billion last year, the lowest total for a full season since 2015.
They demand more access to salary arbitration, an increase in the luxury tax threshold and the minimum wage, less income sharing and new rules regarding the calculation of seniority.
The clubs say they will not budge on arbitration or revenue sharing, and the luxury tax will be considered later in the talks.
Discussions are not expected next week, with owners scheduled to meet Tuesday through Thursday in Orlando.
