NFL offers pay increases to referees

The NFL has offered a 40 percent across-the-board pay increase for this year, rising to double their current salaries of about $40,000 (B44,000) by 2003. As well as this, more senior referees would receive an extra $10,000 (B11,000). But unions claim that the NFL is taking advantage of the perception that referees are once-a-week employees to keep salaries low. “We want a system that’s fair and takes into account what’s required to do this job,” Tom Condon, the referees’ union negotiator said. NFL officials earned the least amount of money compared with other major North American sports referees. A National Basketball Association referee, on average, currently boasts a salary of $180,000 (B199,000) - that is more than quadruple the wages of an NFL referee.