Union Reacts to Replacement Rules

Compounding the tit-for-tat relationship between baseball’s management and players, union leader Donald Fehr said Saturday that the clubs cannot unilaterally establish rules for replacement players and that the union would probably challenge management’s decision through the National Labor Relations Board or the arbitration process.

The union has maintained that any change in work conditions must be collectively bargained and that replacement rules can be established only if there is a legitimate impasse, which the union is disputing in a complaint filed with the labor board on Dec. 27. Fehr said Saturday that the union would consult with its executive board before taking any action in response to the replacement rules approved by the owners’ executive council Friday.

“We haven’t heard one word (from the owners) on this,” Fehr said. “We’ll check it out and do what we have to do.”

In other developments, Fehr said the union’s executive board, barring a bargaining settlement, is considering a barnstorming series of all-star games involving striking players as competition for the replacement games and that he expects Congress to establish hearing dates this week for new legislation that would repeal all or parts of management’s antitrust exemption.

It also was learned that acting Commissioner Bud Selig will probably meet this week with Baltimore Oriole owner Peter Angelos to discuss Angelos’ opposition to fielding a replacement team.