ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Saturday, June 29, 1996 TAG: 9607010042
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: BOSTON GLOBE
The rush for the free agents will have to wait, but the NBA has averted another full summer of labor strife.
The league and the players union announced Friday that they finally had settled their many disputes in the Collective Bargaining Agreement. However, the league said there will be a moratorium on all contract signings, trades and negotiations until noon July 9. Previously, the free-agent signings were to have begun Monday and with such luminaries as Michael Jordan, Shaquille O'Neal and Reggie Miller available, there will be a lot of activity.
The eight-day delay is to enable the union to get its members to ratify the agreement and to reduce the agreement to writing. NBA players will receive ratification ballots Monday as well as an explanation of the new terms. Players will have a week to vote.
``We do not anticipate any problems in obtaining ratification of this agreement from our players,'' said union president Buck Williams.
Friday's announcement capped three days of intensive bargaining with the threat of a second straight lockout looming at 12:01 a.m. Monday. The two sides had ratified the agreement in principle last September but by the time they got down to putting the agreement into writing, the union leadership had changed and disagreements arose over licensing and salary cap matters. The league said the new leadership was out to repudiate the agreement. The union insisted it never had agreed to the matters in the first place.
The league then went to court and sued the union along with several agents it felt were behind the move to scuttle the agreement. The league also filed a complaint with the National Labor Relations Board, charging the union with changing its bargaining position.
With the settlement, it is believed the two matters will be dismissed once the agreement actually is signed.
Even with the agreement, this will be the third straight summer in which league business has been put on hold for some period of time.
LENGTH: Short : 45 lines KEYWORDS: BASKETBALLby CNB