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CNN Live Today

In the Strike Zone

Aired August 29, 2002 - 11:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: It's the bottom of the ninth, and Major League Baseball may be on the verge of striking out bigtime, especially with the fans. With tomorrow's strike deadline looming, players and owners will try again to settle their labor dispute. We are covering the bases on this story.
CNN's Josie Karp is following the talks in New York. And, our Jeff Flock is out at the Miller Field in Milwaukee.

Let's start this morning now with Josie.

Josie, what's latest on the talks?

JOSIE KARP, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The very latest, Leon, is that just about five minutes ago, a pair of union negotiators left this building behind me, which is where Major League Baseball is located. They met for an hour and 40 minutes. It is over. They are expected to meet throughout the day. It could go long into the night. They went long into the night last night. The union, and the players and the Major League Baseball negotiators didn't separate until after midnight last night.

And when they finally went home here on the club side, one source told me, look at this way, we have 30 hours to overcome 30 years of rancor. That's what they're up against today -- Leon.

KARP: All right, Josie, stand by there and try to stay dry. We're going to talk to Jeff right now, who is out at Miller Field in Milwaukee.

Jeff, we've been talking this morning about not just the players who are been talking about money here, money that they're talking about also does trickle down eventually to folks who work at the ballparks as well.

JEFF FLOCK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You bet you, Leon.

It's not just about the ballplayers, not just about the owners, but the people who make this ballpark work. This is a beautiful stadium. I had to come out here show you what the field looked like. Miller Field playing field. And I want to -- Miller Park, I should say, just to get the name right, and I want to now talk a little bit about those many, many workers, and literally hundreds, at each Major League ballpark that make it all work.

I've got Tom Olson over here who with SportsService. That is one of the company's that provide the concessions. They do things like food, and all of the memorabilia and stuff. Tom, tell me how many folks do you employ here in miller park in Milwaukee.

TOM OLSON, SPORTSSERVICE: There are 600 hourly employees in Miller Park.

FLOCK: They go on strike tomorrow. You are hoping they don't, but if they do, what happens?

OLSON: Well, the season will come to a earlier close than usual. Hopefully it's not. Hopefully, they don't go on strike, and hopefully, we have baseball next week here in Milwaukee.

FLOCK: What do you got inside here. What are you selling in here, and how much of these folks rely on this job?

OLSON: This is our retail store, and this store is open year round, and there is around 20 employees who work in that store throughout the year.

FLOCK: If there is strike, what do you do? Lay them off, or pay them? What do you do?

OLSON: Most of them will get laid off. We'll keep a few, but most of them will get laid off.

FLOCK: How does that sit with you? I know you're a guy who obviously work with both the players, as well as the team owners, but want to upset anyone but how does it sit with you as we're ticking right down now to a potential strike?

OLSON: Well, we're caught between. We want everyone to hopefully to come to an agreement. But we'll deal with whatever comes to us. And we'll stay neutral and be in that position throughout the strike talks.

FLOCK: Just to make it clear. I was listening to Milwaukee news radio this morning, and they were talking, this guy had a T-shirt, that says don't go on strike, where else can we get five beers for $35. You take a lot of heat, because the prices are high, but that isn't you making the money?

OLSON: Well, we charge a lot. There is an overhead that comes with baseball concession prices. So, again, that's something that's between us and our clients.

But hopefully the players and owners can get together and work a deal, and we can stop talking about all of this.

FLOCK: OK, well, I appreciate you taking the time to talk about it this morning. I know it's not a fun topic. But it's a beautiful day for baseball here in Milwaukee.

OLSON: Gorgeous. Come on out.

FLOCK: One more game in Milwaukee. We'll be here throughout this day to watch and see how this all unfolds. We'll be on the field a little bit later, Leon, to give you a perspective from down there, hope to talk to some of the ball players and see what's in their heads at this hour as well.

Back to you.

HARRIS: You know what, I'm thinking the beer has got to be cheaper at Miller Park. Come on, they make it right down the street from there. Well, let me ask you this, Jeff, we've seeing and hearing anecdotes in the last couple days or so of just how serious the players are.

Have you heard anything about, like, the players giving their end of season tips already to the people who work there at the park.

FLOCK: I have not heard anybody making any such offer. They talk about this being about principal. Obviously, a lot of dollars are involved, but the guys are -- I am not going to ask Tom Olsen what his guys make here, make but I can tell you, it's a whole heck of a lot less than those folks that play on the field.

HARRIS: OK, we have to move on. Josie Karp, still standing by there in New York, sorry to keep you out there in the rain. Go inside, and get dry, we'll get back with you in a few minutes. See you later. And thank you, Jeff, as well.

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