What is the status of contraction?
While contraction was ultimately postponed in 2003 until at least 2007, the threat of contraction in 2002 and 2003 was an important issue both in the labor negotiations and in negotiations among owners. The owners had the right to contract two teams in 2007 without the union filing a grievance, but they would still have to deal with lawsuits from other parties such as the cities with which they have signed stadium leases. There was no talk of contraction in 2006, and thus the agreement not to contract teams in the 2007-2011 agreement is only a minor issue. The owners announced on November 7, 2001 that two teams would be contracted before the 2002 season. The two teams were not announced, and the details had not been worked out. The owners claimed that they did not need the union’s approval to contract two teams because the labor contract had not yet expired (it expired November 8); the union challenged this and asked for an arbitrator to rule on it. The owners and union tried to negoti
