Sign Our Petition: This Football Season Has 'Become a Disaster'
This football season has become a disaster because of the greed of NFL management and team owners—who brought in more than $8.3 billion in revenue last year and who don't mind making a quick buck at the expense of NFL players’ safety, NFL fans and the integrity of America’s game, says AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka in an e-mail to online activists.
Since the botched call by a replacement referee cost the Green Bay Packers a win against the Seattle Seahawks Monday night, football fans all over the country are speaking out and demanding the NFL owners and NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell end the referee lockout. (Read "Monday Night Football Disaster in Seattle Brings More Calls to End NFL Lockout of Refs.")
Trumka writes:
Instead of settling a fair contract with experienced union referees, owners chose to lock out refs and replace them with untrained nonunion officials. In only three weeks, we’ve seen these replacement refs making confusing or inconsistent calls and unable to control situations on the field, possibly putting players’ safety at risk. On top of that, some of these refs have officiated games for teams they’ve worked for or publicly rooted for.
The NFL Players Association (NFLPA) released the following statement to players from Executive Director DeMaurice Smith:
The decision by the NFL owners to lock out the referees jeopardizes your health and safety. This decision to remove more than 1,500 years of collective experience has simply made the workplace less safe.
It is the NFL’s duty to provide a workplace that is as safe as possible. The League will want fans, the media and sponsors to talk only about "the product" on the field. We are not product.
While the focus today is about a blown call and the outcome of one football game, our focus as a family of players is and will remain squarely on workplace safety.
Contrary to some reports, we are not crossing any picket line. The referees are not on strike. The owners locked them out.
We are actively reviewing any and all possible actions to protect you.
