With the NFL careening toward another work stoppage involving game officials, the executive directors of the two unions most directly impacted by the development have put their heads together.
JC Tretter, the executive director of the NFL Players Association, and Scott Green, the executive director of the NFL Referees Association, met on Tuesday.
“Player safety requires trained, professional officials on the field,” Tretter said in a joint statement. “They manage the game in real time, enforce the rules, and stop situations from escalating. That can’t be replaced by less experienced crews or handled remotely. If player safety truly matters, trained professional officials on the field are not negotiable.”
“Professional officials are trained to control the game in real time,” Green said. “They are the first responders on the field — maintaining order, enforcing rules, and preventing dangerous situations from escalating.”
It’s one of the first official actions of Tretter in his new job. And it likely won’t make the entity with which he’ll eventually be negotiating very happy.
Still, the players are affected by replacement officials. And unions generally support each other.
The NFL generally will be inclined to divide and conquer, when that strategy suits their interests. With the league already making noise that it may want to change the salary-cap system based on increasing expenses, the expenses associated with game officials will surely become part of that formula.
The simple response is obvious: There’s more than enough money to treat everyone fairly.
“We remain hopeful that an agreement can be reached that avoids past disruptions and ensures the game continues to be officiated at the highest level,” Green said.
So does everyone else. Except for perhaps the NFL, which seems to be willing to embrace using lower-level officials (again) in order to put the squeeze on the best available officials.
