NFL referees union plans to vote on new contract this month

The NFL and its officials are reportedly moving closer toward a new contract to avoid a work stoppage.

The NFL’s collective bargaining agreement with the NFL Referees Association is set to expire on May 31. The league and the union have been negotiating a new CBA since the summer of 2024.

Sources told the Associated Press on Tuesday that the Referees Association is planning to have a ratification vote this week.

Last month, the league began the process for lining up replacement officials because negotiations weren’t progressing.

The NFL has increased its offer to a 6.45% annual growth rate in compensation over a six-year labor deal, but the NFLRA wants 10% plus $2.5 million for marketing fees, two AP sources said in March.

In 2012, a labor stalemate resulted in a 110-day lockout and replacement referees were used.



(AP Photo/Maria Lysaker, File)