2024 MLS referee lockout

Last updated

The 2024 MLS referee lockout was a labor dispute between the Professional Referee Organization (PRO), the organization responsible for assigning and managing referees and other match officials for Major League Soccer, and match officials represented by the Professional Soccer Referees Association (PSRA), a labor union for professional match officials in Canada and the United States.

Contents

Timeline

On January 15, the previous collective bargaining agreement was set to expire. The PSRA voted to extend the agreement until January 31, but announced the possibility of a work stoppage if certain outstanding issues were not resolved. [1]

On January 22, all voting members of the PSRA voted to authorize strike action in the event that they could not negotiate a favorable collective bargaining agreement with PRO. 100% of participating individuals voted in favor of the potential work stoppage. [2]

On February 17, the PSRA voted to reject a tentative agreement with the PRO, with 95.8% of voting union members voting against ratifying the agreement. The PSRA cited unfair labor practices such as direct dealing, insufficient benefits and compensation, and scheduling issues. [1] [3] [4]

On February 18, PRO locked out the PSRA match officials, and announced that they would assign replacement officials to prevent the postponement of the 2024 Major League Soccer season. [3] [5] The PSRA immediately criticized the decision for being detrimental to the quality of officiating in the league, and referenced an alleged increase in officiating errors during a referee lockout in 2014. [6]

On February 20, the MLS Players Association (MLSPA) made an announcement requesting a quick resolution to the dispute, as well as sharing their concern that the use of replacement officials could be detrimental to the players' health and safety. [7] They also made statement that "all workers deserve a fair wage, safe working conditions, and the ability to collectively bargain in good faith," suggesting that they somewhat supported the PSRA position. [7]

On February 21, the opening match of the regular season as played between Inter Miami CF and Real Salt Lake, with replacement referee Cristian Campo Hernandez taking charge of the match.

On February 25 in the match between LA Galaxy and Inter Miami, replacement referee Gabriele Ciampi controversially sent off (second caution) Mark Delgado for a foul on Sergio Busquets despite replays showing that it was Busquets who initiated contact with Delgado. While shorthanded, LA conceded a goal in additional time which resulted in a 1–1 draw. The decision was generally considered incorrect, including by Busquets himself who stated in an interview that he did not believe the foul to be worthy of a yellow card. [8] Much of the blame was attributed to the league using less experienced replacement referees, with Ciampi struggling to maintain control for the entirety of the match. [9] The league retroactively rescinded Delgado's red card after the match following a successful appeal from the LA Galaxy. [9] [10]

Agreement

On March 26, the PRO and PSRA announced that they had reached a new collective bargaining agreement that will last until 2030. The PSRA members ratified the agreement by a vote of 72–21. The referees returned to work on March 30. The seven-year agreement is the longest CBA for MLS match officials in MLS history. [11]

Issues

PSRA officials rejected the tentative agreement for the following reasons.

Unfair labor practices

The PSRA alleged that direct dealing was being committed by managers of PRO, claiming that their members were called individually by PRO representatives to discuss bargaining without union representatives present. [4] The PSRA filed a charge against the PRO with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) on January 5. [3]

On February 9, the PSRA filed a second charge with the NLRB, after allegedly receiving a letter from the PRO general manager threatening that if the tentative agreement was not ratified, the PRO would lock out the PSRA match officials, and refuse to agree to favorable terms in future bargaining. [4]

League growth and consequences

Following their rejection of the tentative agreement, the PSRA stated that the league's recent growth had significantly increased mental demands, physical demands, and the time commitments required of the match officials. [1] The union argued that PRO was not willing to compensate the match officials for these new expectations.

Results and reactions

Prior to the beginning of the season, Major League Soccer announced that they would be testing new rules in the league, such as referees making in-stadium announcements, and enforcing time limits for substitutions and injury stoppages. [12] However, because of the labor dispute, the implementation of the rule changes was postponed to prevent potential officiating controversies while replacement officials are in use. [13]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Hockey League Players' Association</span> North American labour union

The National Hockey League Players' Association is the labour union for the group of professional hockey players who are under Standard Player Contracts to the 32 member clubs in the National Hockey League (NHL) located in the United States and Canada. The association represents its membership in all matters dealing with their working conditions and contractual rights as well as serving as their exclusive collective bargaining agent.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Football League Players Association</span> NFL labor union

The National Football League Players Association (NFLPA) is the labor union representing National Football League (NFL) players. The NFLPA, which has headquarters in Washington, D.C., is led by president Jalen Reeves-Maybin and executive director Lloyd Howell Jr. Founded in 1956, the NFLPA is the second-oldest labor union of the major North American professional sports leagues; it was established to provide players with formal representation to negotiate compensation and the terms of a collective bargaining agreement (CBA). The NFLPA is a member of the AFL–CIO, the largest federation of unions in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Major League Baseball Players Association</span> Labor union

The Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA) is the labor union representing all current Major League Baseball players. All players, managers, coaches, and athletic trainers who hold or have held a signed contract with a Major League club are eligible for membership in the Association.

The NHL Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) is the basic contract between the National Hockey League (NHL) and the NHL Players' Association (NHLPA), designed to be arrived at through the typical labour–management negotiations of collective bargaining. On January 6, 2013, an agreement was tentatively reached after a labour dispute cancelled 510 regular season games of the 2012–13 season, and was ratified by the league's Board of Governors on January 9, 2013, as well as by the NHLPA membership three days later on January 12, 2013. As originally signed, the 2013 CBA was a 10-year deal, longest in NHL history, expiring after the 2021–22 season. On July 10, 2020, the NHL and NHLPA announced the extension of the CBA through the 2025–26 NHL season.

In professional sports, a replacement player is an athlete who is not a member of the league's players association and plays during a labor dispute such as a strike or lockout, serving as a strikebreaker.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roger Goodell</span> 6th Commissioner of the National Football League (born 1959)

Roger Stokoe Goodell is an American businessman who has served as the commissioner of the National Football League (NFL) since 2006.

The 1998–99 NBA lockout was the third lockout of four in the history of the National Basketball Association (NBA). It lasted from July 1, 1998, to January 20, 1999, and forced the 1998–99 regular season to be shortened to 50 games per team and that season's All-Star Game to be canceled. NBA owners reopened the league's collective bargaining agreement (CBA) in March 1998, seeking changes to the league's salary cap system and a ceiling on individual player salaries. The National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) opposed the owners' plans and wanted raises for players who earned the league's minimum salary. After the two sides failed to reach an agreement, the owners began the lockout.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">MLS Players Association</span>

The MLS Players Association (MLSPA) is the union of professional Major League Soccer players. The MLS Players Association serves as the exclusive collective bargaining agreements representative for all current players in MLS.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ricardo Salazar</span> American soccer referee

Ricardo Salazar is a referee who currently referees for the Professional Referee Organization and international matches. He became a full-time referee in 2007.

The 2011 National Football League Player lockout was a work stoppage imposed by the owners of the NFL's 32 teams that lasted from March 12, 2011, to July 25, 2011. When the owners and the NFL players, represented by the National Football League Players Association, could not come to a consensus on a new collective bargaining agreement, the owners locked out the players from team facilities and shut down league operations. The major issues disputed were the salary cap, players' safety and health benefits, revenue sharing and television contracts, transparency of financial information, rookie salaries, season length, and free agency guidelines. During the 18-week, 4-day period, there was no free agency and training camp, and players were restricted from seeing team doctors, entering or working out at team facilities, or communicating with coaches. The end of the lockout coincided with the formation of a new collective bargaining agreement prior to the start of the 2011 regular season.

The 2012–13 NHL lockout was a labor dispute between the National Hockey League (NHL) and the National Hockey League Players' Association (NHLPA) that began at 11:59 pm EDT on September 15, 2012. A tentative deal on a new collective bargaining agreement (CBA) was reached on January 6, 2013, with its ratification and signing of a memorandum of understanding on the agreement completed by January 12, 2013, 119 days after the expiry of the previous CBA.

The Fail Mary, also known as the Inaccurate Reception or the Intertouchdownception, was a play in the National Football League (NFL) game played between the Green Bay Packers and Seattle Seahawks on September 24, 2012, at CenturyLink Field in Seattle, Washington. In a nationally televised game on ESPN's Monday Night Football, the Seahawks defeated the Packers, 14–12, in controversial fashion.

The 2012 NFL referee lockout was a labor dispute between the National Football League (NFL) and the NFL Referees Association that resulted in the use of replacement officials through Week 3 of the 2012 NFL season. The lockout began in June 2012 after both sides failed to reach consensus on a collective bargaining agreement. On September 26, 2012, an agreement was reached to end the lockout after increasing criticism of the NFL and the performance of the replacement officials, culminating in the infamous "Fail Mary" game between the Seattle Seahawks and the Green Bay Packers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Professional Referee Organization</span>

Professional Referee Organization (PRO) is the organization responsible for managing the referee and assistant referee program in professional soccer leagues in the United States and Canada, working alongside the United States Soccer Federation, Major League Soccer, the Canadian Soccer Association, the United Soccer League, the National Women's Soccer League, and the U.S. Open Cup.

The NFL collective bargaining agreement (CBA) is a labor agreement which reflects the results of collective bargaining negotiations between the National Football League Players Association (NFLPA) and National Football League (NFL). The labor agreement classifies distribution of league revenues, sets health and safety standards and establishes benefits, including pensions and medical benefits, for all players in the NFL. The first collective bargaining agreement was reached in 1968 after player members of the NFLPA voted to go on strike to increase salaries, pensions and benefits for all players in the league. Later negotiations of the collective bargaining agreement called for injury grievances, a guaranteed percentage of revenues for players, an expansion of free agency and other issues impacting the business of the NFL. The NFLPA and team owners have negotiated seven different agreements since 1968.

The U.S. Women's National Team Players Association (USWNTPA) is a labor union representing the United States women's national soccer team (USWNT). The organization's primary mission is to protect the rights of the USWNT and to safeguard the economic and social welfare of all of the women's national team players.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United Football League Players Association</span> U.S. labor union

The United Football League Players Association (UFLPA) , or "USW Local 9004", is a local union representing United Football League (UFL) players. USW Local 9004 is the first local to be issued a charter by United Steelworkers for representation in a professional sports league. The UFLPA, which has headquarters in Arlington, Texas was established to ensure protection of player rights, establish fair working conditions for active members, and provide players with formal representation to negotiate the terms of a collective bargaining agreement (CBA). The player's union was adopted following the merger of the latest incarnations of the XFL and United States Football League (USFL). The United Football League (UFL) recognized the UFLPA alongside United Steelworkers as the exclusive bargaining representative of UFL players. The adopted USFL - USW collective bargaining agreement (CBA) was renegotiated to ensure continuity of labor relations between the league and players, as the merger officially transitions two eight-team leagues into one eight-team league for the 2024 season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2024 Major League Soccer season</span> 29th season of Major League Soccer

The 2024 Major League Soccer season is the ongoing 29th season of Major League Soccer (MLS), the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada, and the 46th season overall of a national first-division league in the United States.

The National Basketball Referees Association (NBRA) is the labor union that represents National Basketball Association (NBA), G League, and Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) referees. It was founded in 1977.

The 2001 NFL referee lockout was a labor dispute between the National Football League (NFL) and the NFL Referees Association that resulted in the use of replacement officials through Week 1 of the 2001 NFL season. The lockout began in August 2001 after both sides failed to reach consensus on a collective bargaining agreement, which had expired upon the conclusion of the 2000 NFL Season. It was the first time in the history of the league that replacement officials were used for regular season games. On September 19, 2001, an agreement was reached to end the lockout, which was precipitated by the September 11 attacks that had occurred the previous week and caused the postponement of all week 2 games.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Professional Soccer Referees Overwhelmingly Reject Tentative Agreement". Professional Soccer Referees Association. February 17, 2024. Retrieved February 19, 2024.
  2. ↑ Tom Bogert and Pablo Maurer (January 22, 2024). "MLS referees authorize potential strike, file labor complaint as work stoppage looms" . The Athletic . Retrieved February 20, 2024.
  3. 1 2 3 Tom Bogert and Pablo Maurer (February 17, 2024). "MLS referees' union votes against tentative CBA, prompting lockout days before season kicks off" . The Athletic . Retrieved February 19, 2024.
  4. 1 2 3 Jeff Carlisle (February 17, 2024). "MLS set to begin with stand-in refs as CBA dispute goes on". ABC News . Retrieved February 20, 2024.
  5. ↑ Alex Donaldson (February 19, 2024). "MLS and PRO lockout PRSA referees ahead of new season". sportcal.com. Retrieved February 20, 2024.
  6. ↑ "'This is a Foul': Refs' Union Condemns Lockout as PRO Bars Major League Soccer Refs from Working Matches". Professional Soccer Referees Association. February 18, 2024. Retrieved February 19, 2024.
  7. 1 2 Sport, Guardian (February 21, 2024). "'A step backwards': MLS players' union criticizes referee lockout". The Guardian . Retrieved February 22, 2024.
  8. ↑ Seth Vertelney (February 29, 2024). "Busquets admits replacement refs blew it on red card he drew at LA Galaxy". prosoccerwire.usatoday.com. Retrieved April 4, 2024.
  9. 1 2 Kevin Baxter (February 29, 2024). "Mark Delgado's second yellow card in Galaxy-Inter Miami match rescinded". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved April 4, 2024.
  10. ↑ "LA Galaxy's Mark Delgado eligible after Independent Review Panel decision". Major League Soccer. February 29, 2024. Retrieved April 4, 2024.
  11. ↑ Asli Pelit (March 26, 2024). "MLS ends refs lockout with record seven-year labor deal". Sportico. Retrieved April 19, 2024.
  12. ↑ "MLS Board of Governors approves new sporting initiatives ahead of 2024 season". Major League Soccer. December 14, 2023. Retrieved February 22, 2024.
  13. ↑ Tim Reynolds (February 21, 2024). "MLS Commissioner Don Garber says league is 'very prepared' to deal with referee lockout". Associated Press . Retrieved February 22, 2024.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.