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The league responded that it began the process of hiring replacements when the officials told the NFL of their intention to authorize a strike.
"We have great respect for our officials and in keeping with that view have made a proposal that includes substantial increases in compensation for all game officials," the NFL's statement said. "We have negotiated in good faith since last October. We accepted the union's suggestion that we involve federal mediators in the negotiations.
"We are available to meet with the NFLRA at any time to negotiate a new contract."
No talks are scheduled.
The officials say their wage offer was for a smaller increase than they received in the collective bargaining agreement that expired in May. They said it would cost each of the 32 teams $100,000 per year to meet that proposal.
The NFL has called its offer to the officials a fair one, noting it includes a seven-year deal with annual compensation increases of between 5 and 11 percent. According to the league, an official in his fifth season earned an average of $115,000 in 2011 and would earn more than $183,000 in 2018 under its proposal.
The officials also cite as issues higher wages for their peers in the NBA, NHL and Major League Baseball, and the loss of a pension system established in 1974 and administered by the NFL until it was recently frozen, then eliminated.
"No game official will lose any vested pension benefit under our proposal and the clubs will fully fund all pension obligations," the league said.
The NFL used replacement officials for the opening weekend of the 2001 season. Then came the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and a new CBA soon was reached.
But many of the officials used 11 years ago had worked at the highest college level, and the NFLRA says the officials being interviewed now aren't nearly as experienced.
"Players know who we are," Hochuli said. "They were kids watching us on TV. There's a certain amount of, 'Hey, I realize Hochuli is watching what I'm doing.' If they've got a high school or junior college official out there, they're going to do more."
[Associated
Press;
Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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