Complaints, Change And Resistance

[JRutledge]

Originally Posted by fitump56

If you think that you are not emotionaly or psychologically influenced by taking pay, you are either in denial and/or out of touch with your real feelings.

I see this constantly on this Forum, and with hundreds of umpires I have worked with. I had the same puffy chested stance myself.

Who wants to admit being under the thumb of the Payor? Especially when we are abused, underpaid and at their whim and call? It is degrading, isn't it?

So the answer is often " no one owns me"; ain't the case. No matter what, if you take the pay, you are owned.

For outward appearance, umps talk tall " I won't do this or that", "I call the shots, not those who pay me". BS, puffy chested talk.

Umps are human beings, with egos, most of us have been terribly abused; we need the paycheck and no one stands up for us. What do we have left?

Puffy chested self esteem. What a sad comment that is on our society that we are so undevalued.

Total BS. Maybe you are influenced by who pays you, I am not. I know many other umpires and officials that are not either. You need to meet more human beings that do not give a damn what others think. All humans are not influenced by others. Some people move to their own beat and what happens in officiating is no different.

Peace

[jimpiano]

If you think that you are not emotionaly or psychologically influenced by taking pay, you are either in denial and/or out of touch with your real feelings.

An umpire is a member of the administration of a league. He is paid to administer and enforce the rules of the game as written. If you choose not to enforce the rules then you don't work for the league, even if you volunteer to do so at no pay.

In other words you cannot " do your own thing" , even for free.

Just a thought. FYI

[Publius]

Originally Posted by jimpiano

An umpire is a member of the administration of a league.

In other words you cannot " do your own thing" , even for free.

Just a thought. FYI

The leagues go to great lengths to divorce the umpires from the leagues for reasons beneficial to the leagues and detrimental to umpires. They call us independent contractors so our actions or inactions don't reflect upon them. We are not members of league administration.

You can "do your own thing" even for pay--that's the very nature of being an independent contractor. If they don't like it they can choose not to rehire you.

[Jim Porter]

Originally Posted by Publius

They call us independent contractors so our actions or inactions don't reflect upon them. We are not members of league administration.

They call us independent contractors so they don't have to pay for worker's compensation insurance.

[fitump56]

Originally Posted by Jim Porter

They call us independent contractors so they don't have to pay for worker's compensation insurance.

More than that. No requirement for withholding, less restrictions on defaulted child support, no taxable payroll, no employee insurance liabities, and a 1,000 other reasons.

Not the least of which is ICs hiding taxable income.

[mbyron]

Originally Posted by Jim Porter

They call us independent contractors so they don't have to pay for worker's compensation insurance.

Or withhold income tax.

[lawump]

Originally Posted by Jim Porter

They call us independent contractors so they don't have to pay for worker's compensation insurance.

And in an attempt to limit their liability. Employers are generally liable for the wrongful actions of their employees. They are generally not liable for the wrongful actions of their indepedent contractors. Its called Respondeat Superior liability.

This is an oversimplified statement, but it conveys the gist.