Clinton Sets a Deadline for Baseball : Strike: President tells owners and players that mediator may impose settlement after Feb. 6.

President Clinton on Thursday gave baseball owners and players until Feb. 6 to make progress in their stalled bargaining talks or face the possibility of special mediator William J. Usery proposing a settlement that could carry the weight of the White House and Congress.

On the day that Usery announced talks between the two sides are expected to resume next week, Clinton said in a statement: “America has been living without baseball for far too long. Now, as the strike drags on, it threatens the start of the 1995 season. It could well damage the economies of the spring training states. It is imperiling the livelihoods of tens of thousands of workers whose jobs depend on baseball.

“And it is trying the patience and depressing the spirits of millions of baseball fans--including me. It is time for this strike to end. This morning, I asked Bill Usery to bring the owners and the players back to the table and to step up the pace and intensity of his mediation efforts.

“If the parties have not reached an agreement by (Feb. 6)--or are not on track toward a speedy settlement--I have asked Mr. Usery, if he believes it appropriate, to put forth his own recommendations for a proposed settlement between the parties. (But) I hope it doesn’t come to that. I urge the owners and players to give their full support to this mediation effort, and to settle this unfortunate dispute themselves.”

Usery’s recommendation would not be binding, but management counsel Chuck O’Connor said it could be grafted into legislation by Congress and imposed on owners and players, the manner by which last year’s railroad strike was settled. There is also the possibility Usery could recommend binding arbitration but with no assurance the owners or players would agree to it.

“Our people know they’ve been hit by a big stick, and I hope that (the union) people do too,” O’Connor said, adding that Clinton’s involvement is “not just words from the bully pulpit.”

“The possibility of Usery recommending a settlement sends a powerful message that we need to get this done at the table, which is what we’ve been saying to the union all along.”

Union leader Donald Fehr agreed with O’Connor’s general perception.

“This is not about flapping jaws,” Fehr said. “The President is saying, ‘Find a way to solve this, time is slipping by.’ Hopefully this will get everyone focused.”

However, union sources said they could not be optimistic regarding a sudden settlement because there is no indication the owners will give up the demand for a salary cap or a high-rate payroll tax that would serve the same purpose. That is the most significant impediment to an agreement.

Acting Commissioner Bud Selig said that a cost-control mechanism remains imperative but that the owners are willing to consider “different formats and different packages.” In the past, that has simply been the euphemism for a tax rather than a cap.

Meantime, Usery met with Fehr and management representatives in Washington on Thursday and is expected to reconvene negotiations Wednesday after union officials meet with their executive board in Washington on Monday and Tuesday. The sides have not bargained since the owners declared an impasse and implemented a new economic system, including a salary cap.

When talks ended Dec. 22, the sides were on the same page tax-wise, but separated significantly by rates. Sources said Thursday that O’Connor and other management representatives have run new concepts by Usery during recent meetings, but it is uncertain they will provide impetus for a settlement.

Also Thursday, the Senate Judiciary Committee’s subcommittee on monopolies and business rights scheduled a Feb. 15 hearing on proposed legislation aimed at removing the owners’ antitrust exemption. Senate Majority Leader Robert Dole (R-Kan.) called for an end to the strike and offered his office for negotiations, saying he would lock the doors until an agreement was reached.

“If the players and owners are unable to find common ground, and find it soon, then we will have to find some way to empower those who are the most important element in the baseball equation: the fans themselves,” Dole said.

White House spokesman Mike McCurry said Clinton did not know of Dole’s statement but that the President is willing to work with him on the issue.

“It’s another great example of bipartisan cooperation between the President and Congress,” McCurry said with a smile.

He also added a veiled threat on the antitrust issue, saying: “The President is well aware of the impact of the antitrust statute, and we will hold that question until we see how this current effort proceeds.”

Labor Secretary Robert Reich said an Usery recommendation would have Clinton’s full support and added: “I’ve been keeping the President apprised (of negotiations) since August and we’ve come to a point where the heat has to be turned up a little. We’re applying as much pressure as possible without seeking new legal authority.”

McManus reported from Washington, Newhan from Los Angeles.