Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: FRIDAY, March 30, 1990                   TAG: 9003300897
SECTION: SPORTS                    PAGE: B2   EDITION: EVENING 
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: PHILADELPHIA                                LENGTH: Medium

BASEBALL, UMPIRES FINALLY COME TO AGREEMENT

The umpires plan to return to work under an agreement that calls for them to be reimbursed for games canceled due to the 32-day spring training lockout and to receive three more vacation days during the regular season.

The out-of-court settlement was reached Thursday after U.S. District Judge Norma L. Shapiro reopened a hearing on baseball's request for an order to force the umpires back to work.

The agreement also calls for umpires to receive regular-season per diem payments beginning Saturday, and for the leagues to repay them for travel deposits made before Jan. 31 that subsequently had to be forfeited because of the lockout.

The American and National leagues will divide a $48,500 payment among the umpires.

Shapiro thought the sides had resolved the dispute on Tuesday and announced in court that umpires would end a week-long boycott and return to work on Thursday. Management and the union agreed to settle leftover differences by arbitration, and Shapiro appointed retired Common Pleas Judge Stanley Greenberg to do the job.

That apparent agreement fell through on Wednesday when the owners, for undisclosed reasons, rejected Greenberg as an arbitrator. That brought both sides back to Shapiro's courtroom.

This time, the stumbling block was scheduling of umpires for the six regular-season games that were affected when the start of the regular season was pushed back a week, to April 9, American League president Bobby Brown said.

"We were very anxious to get a schedule they could work with and we could work with, and that's what took the time," Brown said.

The union agreed to drop an unfair labor practice complaint it had filed with the National Labor Relations Board, and the leagues agreed to drop their suit aimed at forcing the umpires back to work.

"Fans are sick of squabbles, they're sick of legal terms," Brown said. "Now opening day can take place without any clouds on the horizon."

In addition to Brown, those working on the final agreement included union chief Richie Phillips, National League president Bill White and the respective lawyers.

"I think it's terrific," Phillips said. "It addresses all the problems we had. It increased the expenses for what's left of spring training, it compensates them for games lost in the lockout and it gives them an extra three-game vacation during the season."

The umpires boycotted the spring games, which started last Monday, to express their displeasure over not being consulted when regular-season games were rescheduled after the lockout ended. Minor league umps have been working the exhibition games.

Shapiro, expressing impatience with both sides, opened the hearing Thursday by saying, "The parties have had ample time to resolve this. It is not complicated, it is not difficult."