NBA Refs Possible Strike

Adam

Texas Aggie wrote
Rarely do I support pro sport unions of any kind, and I'm not real sure which side I'd take here. However, in this case, these individuals are actual league employees under contract only with the league and all are based upon the same pay scale. Players are under contract to their team with no pay scale and actually breach that contract (usually) when they go on strike. Also, the discussion here is in regard to what percentage of a CUT, rather than an increase, is coming down. So the issues are a bit different than usual.

I'm a right to work/free market guy, so if the union refuses the contract and is locked out, I say if you get picked up, go work. But if the NBA folded, that wouldn't bother me a bit either!

I'm with you on this (that sound you hear is my grandfather rolling over in his grave), although this is one line I would not cross.

tomegun

I was thinking about this again and there may some D1 officials who turn the NBA down. Think about it, make less money and possibly piss off someone (the assigner) who you will be working for in the long run. I don't know, maybe the NBA has contacted some young D1 officials who have at least pro-am experience.

dahoopref

tomegun wrote
I was thinking about this again and there may some D1 officials who turn the NBA down. Think about it, make less money and possibly piss off someone (the assigner) who you will be working for in the long run. I don't know, maybe the NBA has contacted some young D1 officials who have at least pro-am experience.

D1 refs who were called were told to block out their college assignments. The NBA would assign games around their D1 games. The feeling among the D1 refs that were called is that the NBA would assign games near the college assignments to make it a "win-win" situation.

tomegun

dahoopref wrote
D1 refs who were called were told to block out their college assignments. The NBA would assign games around their D1 games. The feeling among the D1 refs that were called is that the NBA would assign games near the college assignments to make it a "win-win" situation.

That would be a win-win situation, but I don't think that is going to work out all the time. Remember, some of these D1 officials barely have time to breath let alone an off day to work the Knicks/Celtics. Realistically, it isn't going to work as easy as scheduling games near their college games.

LDUB

tomegun wrote
That would be a win-win situation, but I don't think that is going to work out all the time. Remember, some of these D1 officials barely have time to breath let alone an off day to work the Knicks/Celtics. Realistically, it isn't going to work as easy as scheduling games near their college games.

$1300 seems like quite a pay cut for a lot of them too.

BillyMac

tomegun wrote
Some of these D1 officials barely have time to breath let alone an off day to work the Knicks/Celtics.

Are the Knicks still in the NBA? The way that they've been playing the past few years, I heard that they were invited to be the only male team allowed to play in the WNBA, the WNBA figuring that some of the women's teams would be able to get a few easy wins against the Knickerbockers.

tomegun

LDUB wrote
$1300 seems like quite a pay cut for a lot of them too.

Exactly.

So they take a NBA game over a game that will pay them more AND they could lose the next NBA game at any time if a new contract is signed AND it could piss their college assigner off in the process AND coach "X" is pissed because he has a $million riding on each victory without his "big dog" refs on the game.

It isn't likely.

Nevadaref

What does David Stern make per day? I know that his annual salary is quite impressive.
It seems that the NBA referees are really on the low end of this billion dollar industry. The owners and players get a nice chunk of cash, and it seems that the league staff does well too.
$1,000 to $1,300 for working an NBA game just seems awfully low to me.

Mark Padgett

Nevadaref wrote
What does David Stern make per day?

Whatever it is, I bet is way less than even the lowliest bench rookie on the cheapest paying team.

BillyMac

Mark Padgett wrote
Whatever it is, I bet is way less than even the lowliest bench rookie on the cheapest paying team.

You would lose the bet.

Randolph Morris, the lowest paid player, on the Atlanta Hawks, the cheapest paying team, will make $855,189 in 2009-10. The NBA minimum for a rookie in 2009-10 is $457,588, for a player with one year's experience, $736,420.

In 1996, David Stern received a five-year deal worth $35 million. I can't find his salary for his most recent contract.

Adam

Mark Padgett wrote
Whatever it is, I bet is way less than even the lowliest bench rookie on the cheapest paying team.

Hmm. What are the odds that Stern makes less than $400,000 per year?

Just a quick google search shows reports, unverified, that he's in the 5-10 million range.

Mark Padgett

Just think - Stern makes that much and he can't even dunk. Plus - his lifetime scoring average is 0 ppg. 😮

sseltser

tomegun wrote
Exactly.

So they take a NBA game over a game that will pay them more AND they could lose the next NBA game at any time if a new contract is signed AND it could piss their college assigner off in the process AND coach "X" is pissed because he has a $million riding on each victory without his "big dog" refs on the game.

It isn't likely.

The biggest "win" in this situation for the college officials is the chance to get picked up full time. Because working full time in the NBA beats D1 (at least with pay, benefits and schedule... you can debate the quality of basketball), so if these guys take a few games and impress some people, they might get the call-up. That is why some of these guys might take these games, particularly younger officials.

amusedofficial

The biggest "win" for any college official is to have the integrity to refuse to work as a replacement during a strike.

I find the eagerness with which some would work NBA games during a lockout or strike to be repulsive. The replacement officials would be paid well, and on a scale negotiated by the union through collective bargaining. The pay was set at the bargaining table, where the employees' only leverage is the right to strike. Now, because they're using that leverage, you'd undercut the very tool that allowed you to be paid the wage you'd make as a replacemente official?

There is nothing as despicable as a scab.

sseltser

amusedofficial wrote
The replacement officials would be paid well,

That's not true... see above.

amusedofficial wrote
The pay was set at the bargaining table, where the employees' only leverage is the right to strike.

How do you know this? Perhaps my knowledge of labor unions isn't up to speed, but for someone who doesn't join the union (i.e. a replacement), it doesn't compute in my head that they would be bound to the union rules.

And finally, the officials are locked out; this is not a strike.

Mark Padgett

amusedofficial wrote
There is nothing as despicable as a scab.

Not even a child molester? OOPS! Wrong thread.

Camron Rust

amusedofficial wrote
The biggest "win" for any college official is to have the integrity to refuse to work as a replacement during a strike.

I find the eagerness with which some would work NBA games during a lockout or strike to be repulsive. The replacement officials would be paid well, and on a scale negotiated by the union through collective bargaining. The pay was set at the bargaining table, where the employees' only leverage is the right to strike. Now, because they're using that leverage, you'd undercut the very tool that allowed you to be paid the wage you'd make as a replacemente official?

There is nothing as despicable as a scab.

For someone who has such a strong opinion, I find it amusing that you have no clue about the situation. No one is striking. It is a lockout.

Plus, that type of attitude is, for the most part, why GM and Chrysler are where they are today. Do you really think that is where you want all US companies? You can strike and fight for higher wages for a couple of years until the company essentially goes bankrupt and shuts down the plant and moves it to a place where unions don't strongarm the company for wages higher than the work is worth.

bob jenkins

I'd request that all refrain from any "labor v. management" discussion. We've been down that road before and it doesn't end well.

If you want to discuss it, take it somewhere else.

Welpe

Sorry bob. I removed my post.

tomegun

sseltser wrote
The biggest "win" in this situation for the college officials is the chance to get picked up full time. Because working full time in the NBA beats D1 (at least with pay, benefits and schedule... you can debate the quality of basketball), so if these guys take a few games and impress some people, they might get the call-up. That is why some of these guys might take these games, particularly younger officials.

You have well established D1 officials and younger D1 officials still on the rise.

An established D1 official would more be taking a pay cut as a rookie NBA official. They would essentially start over because NBA players just don't care about what they (the officials) did at the NCAA level. Plus, that veteran official might not take too kindly to Baron Davis cussing him out - I speak from experience (I didn't realize how much of a cry baby Baron was). There is also their primary jobs to think about. If a veteran official is close to retiring from their primary job and moving to the NBA would be a pay cut, where is the positive for them?

A up and coming D1 official likely has a different set of circumstances. First, there is no guarantees with this labor deal from day to day so they could be flying high - and to Atlanta for a game - one day and calling up their college assigner the next. It wouldn't be as easy for a young official to get those games back as it would a veteran official. Also, the job situation could prevent a younger official from taking the plunge.

Now, I have a friend who is destined for the NBA as of right now. He is going to be doing some D1 this year, but his goal is to go to the NBA and he has been working in the D-league for a couple of years. He has his own business so his day job isn't an issue - I've been joking (but serious) with him lately about becoming his partner because he isn't going to have time to run his business. For him the D1 stuff is gravy. I know another guy on the east coast who is rising fast in D1 and the D-league is gravy. Two different guys with two different issues to consider.

Once all those decisions are made then the fallout begins - and I would love to have stock in a phone company. Lower level games will have to be filled, but there is one snag. A deal could be signed at any time and things will have to be undone.

Shoot, an agreement could have been reached while I took the time to type all this out. 😀