Looks like the lockout has been lifted. I'm relieved to see this situation come to a close. http://www.proreferees.com/news-pro-collective-bargaining-agreement.php
Cba is for 5 years! That seems like an eternity, since mls is really growing in popularity, viewership, revenue. I hope the terms are favorable to the PRSA.
In the curent environment, COLA is pretty trivial due to low inflation (which could of course change over the next 5 years). It would be shocking if there were not some step up over time in the CBA. What will be more interesting (at leat to me) is whether anything in the CBA ties step ups to revenue, profitability, or the players CBA, or whether the five years are locked down as to what the comp is.
My uninformed guess (the best kind!) is that they locked down five years and the compensation is not tied to revenue or profitability. The service provided by the referees is divorced from the league's performance, so why tie the two? Players have a better argument for trying to revenue/profitability because their work "makes" the product the league sells.
I don't necessarily disagree, but if the league was playing the "we aren't making any money" card to try to drive down the number, it could open up discussion of some sort of profitability kickers in a contract to bridge a final gap in the negotiations.
I think if you peruse the MLS team boards regularly, you'll find a lot of fans who claim this isn't true. And I use the word "claim," there, because I don't necessarily believe all of them when they are in their more hysterical mode. But it's not a ridiculous assertion. For example, I find La Liga a lot less compelling than some of the other big European leagues and a lot of that has to do with the standard (or style) of refereeing. But, beyond that, I think you're selling referees short if you don't concede at least an indirect (and maybe, at the moment and depending upon who you ask, theoretical) link. Better referees give the better skilled players a better chance to perform. They also keep them healthier and on the field. Better referees improve the overall on-field product. And the better the product is on-field, the better the league will perform.
So when do we expect details to emerge about the CBA? Or do we not expect any details to emergy? I'm rather curious after all the drama to see what resulted and I imagine I am not alone.
I guess my concern with tying league performance to referee compensation is that even if the league is underperforming, referees performance (and value) should remain the same. Fans frequently blame referees for the "quality" of the league, but that's a nearly impossible claim to quantify. My difficulty comes when picturing this at the bargaining table - PSRA would be fine with tying an increase in compensation to positive league financial performance, but they would (or should) not agree to a decrease in compensation if the league's financials were poor. PRO would be foolish to allow a one-sided (tied only to the extent league financial performance improves) agreement and, if they're trying to limit spending and provide predictability for MLS and USSF, they would frown on paying referees based on overall MLS financial performance, and opt for defined step increases. It seems more likely that the parties would agree to referees enjoying a theoretical league financial improvement via bonus instead of game fees. Maybe something similar to team bonuses for reaching playoffs, where the union members decide how to split the dough.
"Maybe something similar to team bonuses for reaching playoffs, where the union members decide how to split the dough." Really doubt that would fly. The AR's would get all of the money, since there are more of them and they are only getting a game fee, not a salary.
Sorry, I didn't mean to imply that I disagreed with you on your point regarding the CBA. I don't. In retrospect, I should have only quoted everything up to the comma. I was merely making the point that many would disagree with that statement and I thought it was worth pointing out in a referee forum. But I did not mean to imply that disagreement with that statement means agreement with the idea that referee pay should be tied to league performance.
The problem with all this is in the definition of "better referees." I have my own, but I suspect so does everyone else, and they may not be the same, or even similar. What is your definition of "better" in this context? Anyone? PH
Just curious, after this lockout how does everyone think Alan Kelly is going to fit in as a Training Manager? Do you think he'll last in that role?
I wouldn't be so sure that we don't see him on the field. I don't know how, if at all, it got sorted out in the CBA. But I've talked to a few MLS officials who all seem to think there's no un-ringing the bell when it comes to Kelly. No matter what role he fills, his salary is going to be interesting. Would love to learn if the previous reports are accurate. I'd keep an eye on assignments for 3/29; not necessarily for Kelly, either. Look to April to see how that question gets resolved. The lockout may be over, but there are still going to be lingering questions that don't necessarily relate directly to the CBA.
The Kelly situation is strange, he seems capable but this was handled to poorly. I also think the Greek guy did pretty well. Situations like his make the registration rules seem kind of silly.
I think Kelly and the Greek guy will be here to stay. From what I saw of the Greek guy he looked as good as some of the lower tier MLS referees.
Which is to be expected from a recent FIFA referee from Greece, who worked in the Greek league where there are some top teams. This is not necessarily true for a recent FIFA from Ireland. PH
Maybe so, but the Greek guy looked bad in week 2-->TFC @ Seattle. Though after watching Elfath for awhile today I can't disagree with you. @PH--Is your issue with Kelly tied strictly to his performance in the 2 weeks of MLS he worked? Or are there other factors?
Performance. The League of Ireland is not at the level of MLS, whereas the Greek league is at least as good, some might say better for some matches. PH