With our nation in the middle of a contentious presidential campaign and our economy stuck in the doldrums, what is the sudden piece of good news that has Americans cheering?
A big drop in gas prices? Decreased unemployment? Teamwork in Congress? Wrong! The National Football League’s lockout of referees is over. That’s right. The immense suffering of overpaid professional football players and NFL fans has come to an end.
Without being asked, White House Press Secretary Jay Carney spoke for President Obama – and the rest of the country – in welcoming news of a deal between the NFL and the referees’ union.“The president’s very pleased that the two sides have come together,” Carney said. “It’s a great day for America.”
Hallelujah.
For the entire preseason and three weeks of the regular season, we’ve put up with replacement referees who failed to live up to snuff and caused lovers of the game to question the NFL’s integrity.
Now it’s over, but not because the NFL was brought to its knees at the negotiating table. Rather, because of a blown call at the end of Monday night’s game that cost the Green Bay Packers a win.
Fans and players were outraged. The outcry was immense, marathon negotiating sessions commenced and a settlement was announced Wednesday at 11:30 p.m. It came none too soon — right before Thursday night’s Browns-Ravens matchup in Baltimore.
With the help of two federal mediators, the league and the NFL Referees Association agreed to an eight-year labor pact that still must be ratified by the union’s 121 members, who work on a part-time basis officiating games.
Carney said the focus can now return to the games, not the officiating. But the real issue that caused the lockout — job security and benefits for part-time referees — was obviously lost on the White House and a jubilant America.
The defeat of the NFL lockout was a victory not just for the referees, but also for American workers who are under serious attack in a new, part-time economy where employers force workers to work part-time hours for less pay and no retirement or health benefits.
The big dispute was over pension and retirement benefits for officials who are called part-time, but work long hours on top of regular jobs.
In the end, the referees’ annual salaries will increase from $149,000 in 2011 to $173,000 in 2013, and $205,000 by 2019. A disputed defined-benefit pension plan will remain in place for current officials through the 2016 season or until they earn 20 years of service. Then, the defined-benefit plan will be frozen.
The NFL also will have the option, at the beginning of the 2013 season, to hire referees on a full-time basis, like other leagues.
While most sports commentators lamented the length of the lockout, these lockouts are now too common in professional sports. The National Hockey League is in Day 5 of a player lockout by wealthy franchise owners, a stoppage that will ultimately hurt the sport and its 2012-13 season.
So while Americans can be happy that “real” football is back, they should consider whether penalty flags should be thrown not only against players on the field, but against franchise owners who exemplify the 21st Century-stereotype of the rich, grubby American employer.
Steven Kurlander blogs at Kurly’s Kommentary, writes a weekly column for Fort Lauderdale’s Sun-Sentinel and is a South Florida communications strategist.
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