New York, NY (My Sportsbook) - Baseball players and owners made their labor agreement official Tuesday, signing a memorandum that outlines the deal that avoided a strike. Union head Donald Fehr and Rob Manfred, the owners' labor lawyer, signed the "memorandum of understanding" separately Tuesday at their offices. The binding agreement ensures baseball will have labor peace through the 2006 season. The guarantee of 11 straight uninterrupted seasons following the end of the 1994-95 strike would be the longest period without a stoppage since the players' association was formed in 1966. The union's executive board set an August 30 date for a strike, which would have been baseball's ninth work stoppage since 1972. But the sides reached the tentative agreement just hours before the scheduled deadline. |
