NEW YORK -- Baseball players and owners agreed Tuesday to resume their labor negotiations on May 28.

The sides last met May 2, with management continuing its questions about the union's counterproposal, which did not include a luxury tax and offered only a slight increase in revenue sharing.

Owners, seeking to slow the increase in salaries, want a 50 percent tax on the portions of payrolls above $98 million and to increase the percentage of shared local revenue from 20 percent to 50 percent. The two proposals would take away millions of dollars from high-revenue teams and redistribute it to the other clubs.

Last week, union officials told player agents that they are starting to think about a possible strike date, with August mentioned most often as a possibility.

While owners have promised through the World Series not to impose new work rules or lock out players, the union is fearful management will attempt to institute changes when the postseason ends.

Talks have moved extremely slowly since the previous agreement expired Nov. 7, and neither side expects significant bargaining until after the All-Star break.

In addition to the May 28 meeting, the sides agreed to meet June 11, lawyers for management and players said.

Complicating the matter is the union's grievance against contraction. Players claim the vote last fall to eliminate two teams violated their collective bargaining agreement. Arbitrator Shyam Das will attempt to rule by July 15.