While labor disputes in other industries can go practically unnoticed, the bright lights and the unavoidable nature of televised NFL games has pushed the contract battle with the league's officials' union to the forefront this season – with pension issues still a key sticking point.
And this week, the growls of disbelief over a disputed call made by replacement refs at a Seattle Seahawks vs. Green Bay Packers game on Monday have highlighted the push to resolve the labor problems as soon as possible.
According to Bloomberg, Monday's criticism – aimed against the replacement officials who have drawn untold amount of public ire in just a few weeks of officiating, and a controversial last-minute call which saw the Seahawks win in the last second - heightens attention to the need to get the real refs back on the field as soon as possible.
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The issues remain the same, with both sides locked in an impasse over pension issues. The NFL's lead negotiator, Jeff Pash, released a memo earlier this month detailing the league's proposal to replace the officials' $75 million DB plan with a 401(k)-styled plan.
Annual league contributions to that plan would start at just over $16,000 this season and would increase to $22,000. Pash said the league also offered to boost referees' pay by 7 percent, from $161,000 to $149,000, and up to almost $190,000 in six years.
Officials, however, would like to retain the existing DB plan. Michael Arnold, chief negotiator for the officials' union, said that the DB plan only costs the NFL approximately one-third of 1 percent of its overall income.
Both sides say that a considerable divide remains, especially on economic and operational issues, even after a weekend's worth of negotiations.
Will major issues like Monday's allegedly botched call help speed the talks? Paul Haagen, a Duke University School of Law professor, told Bloomberg it might help push the ball.
"Is this the sort of thing that can break jams, yeah, it is," he said. "Whatever the amounts at stake are, they're less than the damage they're doing to the brand. It's quite possible this could be it."
ESPN reports that Tuesday night's negotations moved both sides closer to a resolution, so much so that the 121 referees involved in the dispute have already been trained on the league's newly implemented rules and are ready to hit the field in about a week – should a deal be made on issues, including the pension dispute.
One source who spoke to ESPN said the difference between the NFL and the referees was "about $2″ and another described the negotiations somewhat dismissively, saying "the league wants double sausage and the referees want soy-free cheese."
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