Mediation ongoing in NFL Referee Dispute

Last weekend's failed negotiations between NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and locked-out NFLRA game officials could not have been more evident than in Monday Night Football's botched calls. The ongoing labor dispute between owners and officials may have given refs more leverage than anticipated due to fan and commentator outrage, not to mention the football players. A league memo by general counsel told the officials' union and a federal mediator who joined talks Sunday that it is prepared to make reasonable compromises on economic issues in exchange for operational changes the league believes will improve the quality of officiating. However, the biggest economic sticking point is a traditional pension plan for existing officials, which the league wants to eliminate and replace with a 401(k) plan. The memo said the officials’ most recent offer includes a make-up bonus for lost wages from the lockout and a reduction in disciplinary authority over officials. See http://nyti.ms/UsWGIf and listen http://www.npr.org/2012/09/25/161729675/calls-grow-for-nfl-to-settle-dispute-with-refs