Mediator Gets More Time to Try for Settlement : Baseball: At Usery’s request, NLRB delays decision on seeking injunction against owners.

The National Labor Relations Board on Thursday delayed its vote on pursuing an injunction against baseball owners until next week at the request of special mediator William J. Usery, who is hoping to get the disputing parties to resume negotiations by Saturday.

The union, which has said it will end the strike if the NLRB obtains an injunction forcing the owners to reinstate the terms of the expired labor agreement, wasn’t happy with the delay. A union lawyer said it was “highly irregular” for Usery to interfere in the NLRB’s business and underscored the union’s belief that he is pro-management.

Union leader Donald Fehr said he was obviously disappointed but did not attack Usery or the NLRB.

“However, it’s clear to me that the owners won’t bargain in good faith until they’re forced to comply (by the board),” Fehr said.

The NLRB’s five-member board was expected to vote Thursday on general counsel Fred Feinstein’s recommendation that he seek an injunction. But Usery called board chairman William Gould Wednesday night, according to a source, and asked for a few more days in which to bring owners and players together, fearing an injunction will destroy the negotiating process.

“The NLRB is in the business of promoting collective bargaining, and this is not just any mediator,” the source said. “It’s a window. They can use it or abuse it. The board will take it up again if nothing is resolved by early next week.”

Usery, an aide said, was in Los Angeles on unrelated business Thursday but could not be reached for comment. Representatives of both sides said they expected talks to resume this weekend, but there was no decision on a time or place. It is almost certain now that the NLRB could not obtain an injunction before the replacement season starts on April 2, but management sources continue to say that the season could be delayed as long as three weeks.

The owners’ negotiating committee began a two-day meeting in Chicago on Thursday, but chairman John Harrington of the Boston Red Sox said, “We are not in the process of preparing a revised proposal or a best proposal or a final proposal.”

Harrington said the committee was trying only to evaluate and refine unresolved issues. There is some speculation that the owners are preparing to declare another impasse and implement their new economic package.