By RONALD BLUM
AP Baseball Writer

Two days after minor league umpires said they intend to strike,
management's lawyer denied that unfair labor practices have been
committed.

The Association of Minor League Umpires issued a statement Friday
saying its members plan to strike at the start of the season next
month and said unfair labor practice charges had been filed with the
National Labor Relations Board.

"The AMLU has been threatening to strike in support of their contract
demands for weeks," George Yund, the lawyer for the Professional
Baseball Umpire Corporation, said Sunday in an e-mail. "They're
trying to mislead someone by now changing their story to claim that
they want to strike to protest these alleged unfair labor practices.
Ask them if they'll agree not to strike if PBUC corrects the alleged
ULP? In addition, PBUC denies that it committed any unfair labor
practice."

Union head Andy Roberts and lawyer Robert Weaver did not return e-
mails Sunday seeking comment.

The union, which has about 220 members, claims it was told by
management in February that talks had reached impasse and that the
PBUC would implement its last offer when the season started. The
union made a proposal on March 10 that was rejected by management
three days later.

Roberts' statement Friday said management threatened to fire
employees who went on strike and asked several of the unionized umps
to work as replacements during any strike.

Umps say their salaries average $15,000 at Triple-A, $12,000 at
Double-A, $10,000 in full-season A-ball and $5,500 in rookie leagues.
The union said it would not supply replacement umps to the major
leagues during a strike.

Posted March 26 2006, 7:07 PM EST