[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 26 (Thursday, February 9, 1995)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2430-S2431]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             BINDING ARBITRATION TO SETTLE BASEBALL STRIKE

  Mr. KENNEDY. Mr. President, yesterday, I introduced legislation 
proposed by President Clinton to require the major league baseball 
players and owners to submit to binding arbitration to settle the 
baseball strike.
  Generally, Congress is reluctant to inject itself in labor disputes. 
All of us hope that the parties will find a way to end the impasse and 
settle their differences voluntarily. But there are rare instances in 
which Congress has a role to play in settling such disputes, and this 
may well be one of those times.
  There is no doubt that Congress' constitutional authority to regulate 
interstate commerce gives us the power to enact legislation to settle 
this dispute. Many aspects of major league baseball affect commerce 
between the States. The strike has caused significant disruptions, 
especially in the cities where the 28 major league teams play and is 
about to cause significant additional disruption in Florida and Arizona 
where spring training is supposed to begin next week.
  The U.S. Conference of Mayors estimates that the major league cities 
lost an average of $1.16 million per home game and 1,250 full- and 
part-time jobs because of the strike in 1994. Hard-pressed cities with 
substantial investments of tax dollars in municipal stadiums are losing 
substantial revenues. The cancellation of the 1994 league playoffs and 
the World Series was especially damaging to whichever cities would have 
hosted the playoff games and the World Series.
  Obviously, Congress does not intervene in every labor dispute that 
burdens interstate commerce, but baseball is different and unique. It 
is more than a nationwide industry. It is our national sport. Baseball 
is part of American life.
  We in Congress as representatives of fans throughout the country 
should not remain silent while baseball is damaged by a strike that the 
owners and players seem unable to resolve themselves. Clearly, Congress 
has the power to act. The question is who speaks for Red Sox and 
millions of other fans across America. At this stage in the deadlock, 
if Congress does not speak for them, it may well be that no one will.
  For all these reasons, Congress can act and should be prepared to 
act. Legislation to end the strike would not set a precedent for 
injecting Congress into other labor disputes. There is still time for 
the owners and players to resolve this dispute on their own or to act 
voluntarily to establish a safety mechanism for doing so. The players 
union is willing to agree to voluntary binding arbitration. It is hard 
to see why the owners are not willing to do so as well. In that event, 
Congress would not have to be involved.
  The parties can quickly agree to a process that would result in a 
settlement. If both sides are confident that the merits are on their 
side, they should be willing to submit to binding arbitration and do it 
now so that spring training can begin on schedule next week. If the 
parties do not agree on such a mechanism, it is reasonable and 
appropriate for Congress to act.
  We in Congress may be the last and best hope to salvage the game that 
means so much to Red Sox fans of all ages in Massachusetts and to the 
fans of all the other teams in all parts of the Nation.
  I ask unanimous consent that a table prepared by the U.S. Conference 
of Mayors on the economics of the strike may be printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the data were ordered to be printed in the 
Record, as follows:

                                                    BREAKDOWN OF ECONOMIC IMPACT BY MAJOR LEAGUE CITY                                                   
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                                                                                                          Local business      Jobs                      
    City, State           Team name       Total loss per game    Stadium revenues       Local taxes          revenues         lost     Stadium ownership
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Anaheim, CA........  Angels.............  $1.9 million.......  $61,000............  $441,000..........  $1.417 million....       600  city.             
Arlington, TX......  Rangers............  2 million..........  private............  incl. in total....  incl. in total....     2,500  private.          
Atlanta, GA........  Braves.............  3 million..........  2 million..........  incl. w/stad......  1 million.........     6,350  county.           
Baltimore, MD......  Orioles............  1.2 million........  100,000............  incl. in total....  1.1 million.......     2,000  commission.       
Boston, MA.........  Red Sox............  50,000.............  private............  10,000............  40,000............       400  private.          
Chicago, IL........  Cubs...............  736,181............  636,000............  30,000............  70,000............     1,000  commission.       
Chicago, IL........  White Sox..........  852,038............  780,000............  39,000............  33,157............     1,000  commission.       
Cincinnati, OH.....  Reds...............  700,000............  76,416.............  10,138............  640,700...........       600  city.             
Cleveland, OH......  Indians............  2.04 million.......  1.2 million........  600,000...........  240,000...........     2,000  commission.       
Denver, CO.........  Rockies............  2.04 million.......  43,000.............  39,600............  1.96 million......     1,944  city.             
Houston, TX........  Astros.............  1.04 million.......  400,000............  40,000............  600,000...........     1,000  county.           
Kansas City, MO....  Royals.............  540,740............  265,000............  23,456............  250,000...........       350  commission.       
Minneapolis, MN....  Twins..............  922,600............  282,600............  366,000...........  640,000...........       900  commission.       
New York, NY.......  Mets...............  2.06 million.......  2 million..........  52,500............  incl. in total....       850  city.             
New York, NY.......  Yankees............  2.06 million.......  2 million..........  62,500............  incl. in total....       850  city.             
Oakland, CA........  Athletics..........  986,197............  32,395.............  9,358.............  944,444...........       438  county.           
Philadelphia, PA...  Phillies...........  250,000............  125,000............  42,000............  83,000............       500  state.            
Pittsburgh, PA.....  Pirates............  460,000............  20,000.............  20,000............  400,000...........       350  city.             
St. Louis, MO......  Cardinals..........  432,480............  private............  30,320............  402,160...........     1,180  private.          
Seattle, WA........  Mariners...........  204,745............  101,245............  23,500............  80,000............       327  county.           
San Diego, CA......  Padres.............  203,000............  18,000.............  5,000.............  180,000...........       825  city.             
San Francisco, CA..  Giants.............  1,766,000..........  535,000............  136,000...........  1,095,000.........       800  city.             
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Cities not responding: Detroit, Los Angeles, Miami (Dade County), Milwaukee.                                                                            
Canadian cities not surveyed: Montreal, Toronto.                                                                                                        


[[Page S2431]]

  Mr. HATCH. Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. PELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for 
the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

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