Umpires May Strike at Start of Baseball Season

Major league umpires, who are reportedly still far apart in contract talks with the American and National Leagues, would rather strike at the start of the season than work without an agreement, Richie Phillips, umpires’ union attorney, said Thursday.

“The mood of the umpires is to withhold services now if that is what it will take to get a fair settlement,” Phillips said. “I don’t think they want to wait and have a work stoppage later in the season. I think the leagues feel that way, too.”

Umpires, with Phillips leading their union, have gone on strike three times in the last nine years. Substitute umpires worked a total of seven playoff games in 1984 during the last strike, which Commissioner Peter Ueberroth helped resolve.

Under a contract that expired at the end of the 1986 season, umpires earned salaries ranging from $30,000 in their first year to $80,000 in their 25th year. The leagues have reportedly offered salaries ranging from $33,000 to $85,000, while the umpires asked for a range of about $40,000 to slightly more than $100,000.