Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, July 19, 1994 TAG: 9407200068
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: NEW YORK LENGTH: Medium
During a four-hour bargaining session, union head Donald Fehr asked owners to return the threshold for salary arbitration to two years instead of three and to raise the minimum salary from $109,000 to between $175,000 and $200,000.
Fehr said the union believed management's proposal would transfer at least $1.5 billion from players to owners if baseball's revenues rise at an average of 7 percent per year. He said the very concept of a cap was difficult for players to consider.
``We don't think there's any reason to go down that route,'' Fehr said.
While the parties intend to meet again Wednesday, the salary cap dispute is threatening to cause to the sport's eighth work stoppage in 22 years. Fehr said the union's executive board will meet again by July 31, either in person or by conference call, and again will consider whether to set a strike date.
``When there are other reasonable options, that's the one you consider last,'' Fehr said. ``But if need be, that's the one you act on.''
Owners say they need a salary cap for small-market clubs to remain competitive and would guarantee players $1 billion over seven years if players agree to the cap. Management's negotiator, Richard Ravitch, said players were completely ignoring owners' concerns.
``I was extremely disappointed that we did not receive a proposal that was responsive to the problems in the game we are trying to address,'' Ravitch said.
Owners have tied changing their internal revenue sharing to players agreeing to a salary cap. Fehr has called a cap un-American.
``If it's so un-American, how come football and basketball have it,'' Ravitch said.
Fehr criticized the NBA's salary cap and right-of-first-refusal system, saying it has led to only four teams winning the championship from 1982-93.
In the past five years, according to the baseball union, 290 NBA contracts were negotiated with right-of-first refusal players, and only two players signed with new teams. Fehr said eight saw offers matched and 280 received no offers.
As part of the baseball owners' salary-cap plan, salary arbitration would be abolished, and players with four to six years of major-league service would have right-of-first refusal free agency.
Fehr noted 23 of 26 clubs have won division titles in the past 15 years, 19 have won pennants and 12 have won the World Series and says there are no problems.
Ravitch says the growing disparity in payrolls is hurting the game and proposed a payroll limit of 84-110 percent of the average. Fehr countered that the disparity is decreasing, going from a 37-188 percent range in 1979 to 44-149 percent this season.
by CNB