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Chronology of key events in baseball's labor negotiations:
2001
March to June -- Management, led by chief operating officer Paul
Beeston, and union hold two dozen secret, informal bargaining
sessions.
Nov. 6 -- Owners vote 28-2 to fold two teams prior to the 2002
season. Their labor negotiators later tell the players' association
Montreal and Minnesota are the targeted teams.
Nov. 7 -- Union files grievance, claiming contraction vote
violated labor contract. Collective bargaining agreement expires.
Nov. 16 -- Hennepin County District Judge Harry Seymour Crump
issues injunction preventing Twins from being eliminated, ruling it
would violate the team's lease with the Metropolitan Sports
Facilities Commission, which operates the Metrodome.
2002
Jan. 9 -- Owners propose a 50 percent luxury tax on the portions
of payrolls above $98 million and increasing the percentage of
shared locally generated revenue from 20 percent to 50 percent.
Feb. 5 -- Owners postpone contraction until 2003 season, a day
after Minnesota Supreme Court refuses to hear appeal of the
injunction that forces the Twins to honor their Metrodome lease for
2002 season.
Feb. 26 -- Owners propose making amateur draft applicable to
players worldwide and withholding pay of suspended players.
March 8 -- Beeston resigns and is replaced by Bob DuPuy,
commissioner Bud Selig's longtime lawyer.
March 13 -- Union responds to Jan. 9 proposal, offering to
increase revenue sharing to 22.5 percent under a different method
and declining to offer a luxury tax.
March 26 -- Baseball commissioner Bud Selig promises not to lock
out players or attempt to change terms and conditions of work rules
through postseason.
June 11 -- Owners propose a transition period for luxury tax and
to cut the proposed discretionary fund for commissioner from $100
million to $85 million.
June 27 -- Owners withdraw proposal for ``information bank'' of
free-agent offers.
July 8 -- Union executive board meets in Rosemont, Ill., but does
not set strike date.
Aug. 7 -- Union agrees to mandatory testing for illegal steroids.
Aug. 8 -- Sides agree to raise minimum major league salary from
$200,000 to $300,000, increase owners' payment to benefit plan and
shorten period for funding deferred compenation.
Aug. 12 -- Union executive board meets in Chicago but does not
set a strike date.
Aug. 16 -- Union executive board votes 57-0 during conference
call to set Aug. 30 strike date.
Aug. 27 -- Sides agree to drug-testing plan.
Aug. 30 -- Sides reach oral agreement on contract through Dec.
19, 2006, settling on deal 3½ hours before first game due to be
affected by strike.
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