Union rejects MLB's request for federal mediator
The Major League Baseball Players Association has declined the league's request for a federal mediator after consulting their executive board, the union announced Friday.
Statement from the Major League Baseball Players Association: pic.twitter.com/KBssy2e66U
— MLBPA Communications (@MLBPA_News) February 4, 2022
MLB owners requested the involvement of the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service on Thursday, 63 days into the league-imposed lockout following the expiration of the previous collective bargaining agreement.
In response to the union's decision to decline mediation, the league released a statement obtained by ESPN's Jeff Passan:
Our goal is to have players on the field and fans in the ballparks for spring training and Opening Day. With camps scheduled to open in less than two weeks, it is time to get immediate assistance from the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service to help us work through our differences and break the deadlock. It is clear the most productive path forward would be the involvement of an impartial third party to help bridge gaps and facilitate an agreement. It is hard to understand why a party that wants to make an agreement would reject mediation from the federal agency specifically tasked with resolving these disputes, including many successes in professional sports. MLB remains committed to offering solutions at the table and reaching a fair agreement for both sides.
Three-time Cy Young winner Max Scherzer took to Twitter to shed light on the union's goals during this round of collective bargaining.
We want a system where threshold and penalties don’t function as caps, allows younger players to realize more of their market value, makes service time manipulation a thing of the past, and eliminate tanking as a winning strategy.
— Max Scherzer (@Max_Scherzer) February 4, 2022
The owners and union held their latest round of negotiations earlier this week, resulting in the league rejecting the second straight proposal from the union. MLB originally indicated it would table a counterproposal but opted to request mediation instead.
One anonymous player called the league's request "a publicity stunt," according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today.
Under former commissioner Bud Selig, the league pushed for mediation in 1994 as well, which the players agreed to. After a fruitless month-long session with a mediator, MLB canceled the 1994 World Series.
Players were originally scheduled to begin reporting for spring training by mid-February. However, without a new CBA, that schedule is in jeopardy.