Phillips: Umpires Might Call a Strike

NEW YORK —  Baseball umpires might still strike this season, but their union head has told them to wait until the National Labor Relations Board rules on their unfair labor practice complaint.

“At about the same time that we withdrew the resignations, baseball engaged in a series of very, very serious unfair labor practices that could create a strike,” union head Richie Phillips said Monday. “The law is that if the unfair labor practices the other side is engaged in are of a very serious nature, that could legitimize a strike in the face of a no-strike clause.”

Umpires, not waiting for the Dec. 31 expiration of their labor contract and wanting to force an early start to negotiations, quit en masse on July 14, effective Sept. 2.

But that plan collapsed 13 days later after 27 umpires either refused to resign or withdrew their resignations. The rest of umpires then withdrew, but baseball hired 25 new umpires from the minor leagues and accepted 22 resignations.

Umpires then filed an unfair labor practice charge last week. An NLRB ruling is expected next month.

Phillips said he has argued against a walkout.

“Many of our members are interested in it. Many of our members just want to go home,” he said. “I’ve counseled them not to go home. I’ve counseled them to put their faith in the National Labor Relations Board and the National Labor Relations Act.”

Phillips acknowledged the union was concerned that some umpires wouldn’t go along with a strike.

“It’s too soon to be talking about that,” he said. “I am not at all focused on an exacerbation of the situation. That doesn’t mean that it won’t happen, but first I have to try to get it resolved.”

Umpires also filed a lawsuit against baseball in federal court in Philadelphia. Owners plan to file a motion to dismiss that sometime this week.