MLS
Why are MLS referees on strike? Replacement officials set to continue for another week
The controversy surrounding the dispute between MLS and the referees continues to rage on, despite the season already having begun.
MLS is set another day without its head referees and will once again have to rely on lower-league replacements. According to The Athletic, representatives of the Professional Soccer Referees Association (PSRA) and the Professional Referees Organization (PRO) were unable to reach an agreement at the last meeting on the labor dispute held last Wednesday. The refusal comes just a few days before the start of the second match day of the season, indicating that the substitute referees will be called up once again for the match day two fixtures.
According to the media outlet, the PSRA came back with a very similar offer to the one rejected in the first instance, seeking a salary increase of 25% for all referees. In addition to the salary offer, the association also proposed changes regarding the flexibility of travel and fare class they would use, along with other demands for image rights for individual commercial use.
In joint session,” the statement reads, “PRO representatives made a long statement criticizing, among other things, your negotiating committee’s decision to send (the first tentative agreement) through ratification to allow you to vote and have your voice heard on (it.) PRO then stated they needed yet more time to consider PSRA’s proposal and would not be providing a counter-proposal during the session.” explains the text that PSRA brought to The Athletic’s attention.
Who replaced the referees in MLS on match day one?
The negotiations have been in the news for several days after it became known just hours before the start of the season that the referees would go on strike due to the failure to agree on new working conditions for those affected. The PRO replacements, headed by referees from the university and youth categories along with those from the lower divisions, were in charge of refereeing the first weekend of soccer in the United States.
Both PSRA and PRO have been accusing each other of unfair practices in recent rounds. PRO filed a pleading reporting “intimidation by the referees’ union of substitute officials” prior to the season opener. For its part, PSRA filed formal complaints about a letter from Mark Geiger, a former professional referee, to union members in which he “threatened a lockout and worse conditions if PSRA did not accept PRO’s initial offer.”
Sergio Busquets was involved in an instance of refereeing controversy last weekend when Los Angeles Galaxy player Marky Delgado was shown a second yellow after the referee judged him to have fouled the Spaniard during the 1-1 draw at Dignity Health Sports Park. The replay, however, showed that it was actually the former Barcelona midfielder who had committed the foul yet Delgado was still told to make his way down the tunnel. MLS is set for another huge week of action with Inter Miami taking on Florida rivals Orlando City.