Refs to Picket, PRO Lockout to Continue
MLS season starts today with unnamed replacement referees.
By Heath Hixson
Pyramid Referee
Major League Soccer referees will protest today - the first day of the MLS season - in front of the New York City headquarters of the Professional Referee Organization, which has locked out the referees over a labor dispute.
The referees were locked out on Sunday after the union-represented referees rejected a proposed contract with PRO, who employs the referees and services MLS with referees. PRO released a statement this week that said it has identified a group of “replacement” referees but has not publicly identified the referees.
A PRO spokesman said that referees will be identified on match day, unlike its usual custom of publishing referee assignments days before a match.
Peter Manikowski, president of the Professional Soccer Referees Association (the union representing referees), said the union recently filed a second complaint this year with the National Labor Relations Board over what he said was an “illegal” lockout by PRO.
"It’s their prerogative to operate in this fashion,” he said. “The plain truth is they locked us out.”
Manikowski said the referees plan to picket in front of PRO headquarters in Manhattan today during the afternoon and during the day on Saturday and Sunday. They are calling for better wages, improved health and travel benefits, and treatment more in line with top professional league referees in other nations.
PRO lists its address on its website as 420 Fifth Avenue, 7th Floor, in New York City. That floor is listed online by MLS as the site of its headquarters. PRO is a creation of MLS and the U.S. Soccer Federation to service professional leagues in North America with qualified soccer referees.
Who will replace the usual referees starting today remains a mystery. PRO has publicly stated it has identified a group of qualified non-union referees to officiate MLS matches during the lockout. However, those referees have yet to be publicly identified but are expected to be international and top college referees.
Chris Rivett, a PRO spokesman, said replacement referees will be identified on match days and a roster will not be published online. Customarily, PRO has listed a roster of referees on its website and publish assignments at least 48 hours before matches.
A roster of MLS referees traditionally listed on the PRO website disappeared this week. Rivett said the roster was removed due to the lockout.
PRO continues to maintain that in its proposed contract it offered referees sufficient wage increases, improvements for travel, and met other requests of referees. Rivett said PRO is preparing for the season and declined further comment on the contract talks.
“Our focus is on preparing for the opening round of MLS games this week,” he said.
The MLS regular season is set to kick off today in Miami at 8 p.m. Eastern Time, as Inter Miami CF will host Real Salt Lake. Inter Miami is led by Argentine forward Lionel Messi, the winner of the 2023 Ballon d’Or award- the award given to recognize “the best player in the world.”
A full slate of MLS regular season matches is scheduled for Saturday & Sunday even though the league’s usual & most experienced referees are locked out & picketing.
Both PRO & PSRA have declined to release full details of the proposed collective bargaining agreement between the parties, citing confidentiality reasons.
A federal labor mediator is involved in the talks between the parties.
Manikowski said PSRA has surveyed its members over the reasons why they rejected the proposed CBA and that the union has requested further talks with PRO. He said PSRA has not heard back from PRO regarding further talks.
