LEGAL FILE

Rams Musicians’ Dispute Sparks NLRB Complaint: A formal complaint against the Los Angeles Rams was issued Wednesday by the National Labor Relations Board over the team’s switch last summer from union to non-union musicians for home games. The complaint was to have been issued last week but was delayed to give the team a further opportunity to settle its dispute with the Orange County Musicians’ Assn. Instead of reaching a settlement, the team threatened to start using tapes instead of live music, according to a union attorney. The union charged the Rams with unfair labor practices in October after the team dumped its union band of 22 musicians and hired a less expensive group of non-union musicians, many of them Cal State Long Beach students. The Rams now face a hearing before an administrative judge. The team could be forced to pay $25,000 in wages in addition to benefits to the musicians who were put out of work for 11 home games this season. Frank Amoss, president of the local union, said he would like to see the matter settled before its reaches the hearing stage.