Updated Post – Feb. 4, 13:50
The Major League Baseball Players Association announced on Friday afternoon that they’ve officially declined the owners request for federal mediation.
Here’s the full statement from the MLBPA:
“Two months after implementing their lockout, and just two days after committing to the players that a counterproposal would be made, the owners refused to make a counter, and instead requested mediation. After consultation with our Executive Board, and taking into account a variety of factors, we have declined their request. The clearest path to a fair and timely agreement is to get back to the table.”
Original Post – Feb. 3, 17:22
Major League Baseball is requesting a federal mediator offer “immediate assistance” in baseball’s labor negotiation, according to ESPN‘s Jeff Passan. The Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service–an independent branch of the United States government–would mediate the collective bargaining agreement, Passan says.
The Athletic‘s Evan Drellich reports this process would have to be agreed upon by the MLB Players Association, and it is a voluntary process–meaning the MLBPA can decline a mediator getting involved. Jon Heyman reports the MLBPA is unlikely to accept the offer of mediation, as it sees the move as a public relations stunt. Mediators were involved in the 1994 MLB strike and couldn’t accomplish bringing both sides together.
Drellich also reports that MLB will not make a counteroffer to the MLBPA’s latest proposal made this week. MLB previously said it would counter the offer.
If the goal in these negotiations is to meet around the 50-yard line from each side’s original proposal, neither side has really seemed to move past their own five- or 10-yard line at this point. With Drellich’s latest reporting, it doesn’t seem MLB will move much further from their own end zone. (Apologies for the football analogy when we’re talking baseball–it works, though.)
The latest meeting between the two sides this week was described as “heated.” The two sides have met around half-a-dozen times on the core economic issues of the CBA. They’ve also met to talk about on- and off-field components like a universal designated hitter and MLB’s drug policy.
Whether or not a mediator gets involved, it’s becoming increasingly likely spring training games will not start on time. Regular season games are in jeopardy, too.
On top of the 1994 participation, the FMCS has gotten involved in other professional sports bargaining agreements before. In 2012, were called into the CBA negotiations between the NHL and the NHL Players Association, though mediators could not solve that disagreement between sides in quick order, either.
If history has told us anything, the quickest way for the negotiations to end will be the two sides meeting somewhat in the middle or for one side to finally give in. But, as of now, neither side is interested in budging.
