Rams May Use Taped Music at Games : Labor: Dispute between the team and an Orange County musicians union continues.

A lawyer for the Orange County musicians’ union says the Los Angeles Rams have threatened to switch from live to taped music at future home games, as a dispute continues over the team’s switch last summer from union to non-union musicians.

David Rosenfeld, attorney for the Orange County Musicians Assn., otherwise declined to give details of recent discussions with team officials. “I don’t want to litigate this matter in the press,” Rosenfeld explained. The Rams’ attorney did not return calls from The Times.

The Rams face a formal complaint from the National Labor Relations Board unless they either work out a settlement with the union this week or accept a settlement proposed by the board. The complaint was to have been issued last week but the NLRB extended the deadline to allow another attempt at a settlement.

Under the settlement proposed by the NLRB, the Rams would pay the union musicians who were put out of work for the season and would agree to bargain in good faith in the future. The settlement could cost the team close to $25,000 in wages, plus an undisclosed figure in benefits.

If a complaint is filed, the Rams will face a hearing before an administrative judge in two to three months.

The team broke off negotiations with the union in July after the union refused to reduce the band from 22 members to 15, which Rams officials said would have saved them about $1,000 per game. The team then assembled a band of 22 non-union musicians, including Cal State Long Beach students.

In October, the union filed charges of unfair labor practices against the Rams. An investigation was completed this month, whereupon the NLRB authorized issuance of a formal complaint.