NEW YORK (AP) -- Frustrated by the lack of bargaining progress, baseball players could set a strike date as early as next week to pressure owners into making a deal.þþThe strike date is expected to fall between mid-August and mid-September. Before one can be set, however, the union's executive board must approve it.þþSo far, no board meeting has been scheduled. But on Monday union head Donald Fehr said a decision on whether to hold one ``will be made shortly.''þþThree sources familiar with the union's deliberations said the meeting could take place next week. The sources spoke on condition they not be identified.þþNegotiations focused on revenue sharing when they resumed Monday, a day after commissioner Bud Selig and Fehr met privately in Cooperstown during Hall of Fame festivities. Talks were to continue Tuesday.þþRob Manfred, the owners' top labor lawyer, wouldn't predict what effect a deadline would have on the talks, which began in January.þþ``It depends on where we are in the process, how far off the date is,'' he said. ``I've been careful on this strike-date issue,'' he said. ``That is fundamentally a union decision. I'm not going to get speculating on what they should and should not decide.''þþBy setting a strike deadline, the union would control the timing of a work stoppage.þþ``Don Fehr knows what's in our best interests,'' Boston outfielder Johnny Damon said. ``He's afraid that if the strike date is not set, there could be a possibly longer work stoppage because we'd be locked out, and the players won't come back if the owners set up their own set of rules.þþ``So if there was a strike, there would definitely be a much shorter work stoppage than if there was a lockout,'' Damon said.þþThe old labor contract expired Nov. 7, three days after the World Series. A stoppage would be baseball's ninth since 1972.þþNeither side would say what Fehr and Selig discussed when they met before the Hall of Fame induction ceremonies. The two have had an often bitter relationship the past decade.þþ``Perfectly pleasant. I'm not going to characterize it beyond that,'' Fehr said.þþNegotiators met twice at the union's offices. Players made a proposal on the benefit plan that was termed ``positive'' by Manfred. Benefits have not been a major issue.þþ``The rest of the day was devoted to the topic of revenue sharing,'' Manfred said. ``We adjourned with the union indicating they needed some time on this topic tonight.''þþOwners contend baseball has a competitive-balance problem, and they have proposed increasing the amount of shared locally generated revenue from 20 percent to 50 percent.þþThey also would like a 50 percent luxury tax on the portions of payrolls above $98 million, which would slow the increase in salaries.þþPlayers say those plans would drain too much money from the large-market teams, which otherwise would spend it on players. They say the two proposals, when combined, would be similar to a cap.þþMeantime, 40 Hall of Famers drafted a letter requesting the sides to use a mediator. The group included Willie Mays, Stan Musial, Sandy Koufax, Warren Spahn, Yogi Berra and Johnny Bench.þþPete Donatello of the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service has been in contact with negotiators, according to Manfred, but Donatello has not been active at the bargaining table.þ
Source: NY Times
