End of strike begins new baseball era

Washington, DC -

Major League Baseball owners today accepted the players' offer to return to work, ending the longest work stoppage in professional sports history.

The owners' decision, announced after a four-hour meeting between all 28 teams, ended the players' work stoppage after six months. The longest previous work stoppage was the 50-day baseball strike in 1981. The National Hockey League locked out its players for 103 days at the start of this season, but the baseball players had been on strike longer by the time that dispute ended.

Owners initially declared an impasse in bargaining on Dec. 23, and implemented the salary cap system they had been demanding for more than two years. Three days later, they unilaterally eliminated free-agent bidding and salary arbitration, and withheld $7.8 million they were required to pay to the players' pension and benefit plans per previous agreement.

The National Labor Relations Board issued an "unfair labor practices" charge, accusing management of illegally implementing the cap and sought an injunction to restore free-agent bidding, salary arbitration, and the anti-collusion provisions of baseball's expired collective bargaining agreement.

Owners voted 26-2 last month to authorize the use of replacement players. However, five bills aimed at ending the strike were introduced into Congress on Jan. 1, and President Clinton ordered players and owners to resume bargaining on Jan. 26.

Under the new agreement, there will be a $125 million salary cap. Media revenues, local and national, will be shared equally amongst all 28 teams. A new luxury tax will cost teams an additional 50% of the amount they exceed the average payroll by 125%. The minimum Major League salary was increased to $400,000, and Minor League free agency has been terminated.

Players can begin reporting to Spring Training on Thursday on a voluntary basis, with the mandatory reporting date coming Monday. The season will begin as scheduled on Monday, April 3, as teams and players look to revitalize a sport that last year lost its signature season-ending World Series for the first time in 90 years.