Talks Quiet but Grievance Filing Likely

There was no significant movement on Day 22 of the strike by major league baseball players, but the union prepared to charge owners with unfair labor practice early next week, sources said Friday.

The grievance, to be filed with the National Labor Relations Board, stems from the owners’ refusal to make a $7.8-million payment from All-Star game receipts to the players’ pension fund. The payment was due Aug. 1, but the owners have maintained that they were not obligated to make it because the pension agreement had expired and no new terms were in place.

Although union officials would not comment, a source said the union would ask the NLRB to order owners to make the payment, with interest.

According to the source, it is unlikely that the union will also file a default claim that could make all players free agents, but that decision has not been made.

In what would be a separate action, Gene Orza, the union’s associate general counsel, said grievances would be filed on behalf of the 16 players whose salaries have been terminated through minor league recalls since Aug. 4.

Orza said default notices might be filed on behalf of many of the 16, a process that could make them free agents, and that defaults will definitely be filed for Pittsburgh pitcher Randy Tomlin and Texas infielder Jeff Huson.

Baseball arbitrator George Nicolau would rule on those grievances.