According to today’s Boston Globe and SI.com, contract negotiations between the NBA referees’ union and the NBA have broken down. A lockout appears “imminent and unavoidable” in the words of the union’s chief negotiator.
Back in 1995 when there was a lockout, replacement referees were used. How does the Celtics’ co-owner Steve Pagliuca feel about the potential use of scab referees? There’s plenty of room for all types in the Democratic party, but at a minimum, a candidate for our party’s nomination for Senate should be against the use of scab labor.
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Thanks for the post, ShillelaghLaw
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p>This would be a big problem for Mr. Paglicua, should negotiations collapse.
As far as I’m concerned, this is an unforgivable sin for someone who wants to be the next Democratic Senator from Massachusetts. As for the topic of this post, labor relations in professional sports is not really in the same ballpark (pun intended) as labor negotiations for people with real jobs, I doubt it will be a big issue. When MLB was on strike, I personally had far more sympathy for the “scabs” than I did for the players or the owners.
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p>Anyway, to me, this is academic because HE GAVE $$$ TO BUSH!!!
re NBA labor, remember that this is about the referees, not the players.
And I should have written “regular jobs” instead of “real jobs,” being an NBA ref, or player for that matter, is certainly a real job. I may have been over-agitated about the gall of thinking you can give money to George W. Bush, and then run for Ted K’s seat as a liberal.
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p>Back on point, according to this 2007 cnbc story NBA refs make between $100,000 and $400,000: http://www.cnbc.com/id/19876494 . It’s not the 40 hour work week we’re talking about here. I’m not saying there might not be legitimate or important issues at play with the refs union, or even with player union negations. I just really doubt, in the midst of a bad recession, people are going to get too worked up over the labor/management travails of a very small, very well paid, group of people- most of whom don’t live in Massachusetts.
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p>If the helping fund the nightmare of 2000-2008 is not enough to disqualify Pags for most primary voters, I’d be happy to be proven wrong.
Sorry, but as former member of the NEA teachers union, I just can’t get worked about the potential lockout of unionized NBA refs.
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p>The reason is that unions in the field of professional athletics are what I would describe as Potemkin unions.
Yes, they are legally recognized as unions for collective bargaining purposes, but they actually act more like autonomous labor associations that demonstrate little or no solidarity with working class unions striving for better wages and benefits.
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p>For example, when was the last time you heard of union members in the individualist culture of professional sports refuse to cross a Teamsters picket line in front of a sports stadium or take any action in solidarity with their “fellow union members?”
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p>The NBA refs union just can’t be compared with the UAW, and, from what I have observed over the last several years, replacement refs would probably do a better job than the unionized guys currently patrolling the NBA hardwood.
There are a number of folks in the building trades unions that don’t view teachers’ unions as being in the same category as other unions. Cuts both ways.
are like any other labor union in this aspect. More money, less work. That is the only reason for the existence of teachers unions
I’m all for labor’s right to strike etc., but the other side should be allowed to keep their operations going too. Between this and treating picket lines like they are some kind of international border that better not be crossed, I’ve never been comfortable with the idea that the world should stop until labor gets its way.
if the other side keeps their operations going. That’s the purpose of honoring picket lines. There’s no point in supporting a strike if you don’t honor the picket line and urge others to do so.