Was it too much?

[Rich]

Originally Posted by Tim C

Pete asked:

"Tee is your association going to lose officials over this new legislation?

"Also, will the Fees increase to compensate the officials for the increase in tax?"

What a great question and I do not know how to answer it . . . yet.

First:

There will be no increase of a game fee to cover these costs. The school districts feel that what happens to individual umpires is that person responsibility and not theirs.

The schools in Oregon turned down umpire based requests for an additional $5.00 per game added to our new increase (which is the largest in Oregon history) in an attempt to even our fees to non-school based games. We will make slighly over $50 per game this year for our largest sized schools.

And fees from the state will be deduction to this already too low price.

Second:

We will certainly lose umpires. We fight every year to break even with umpires that leave the area, decide to not umpire and even die . . . this will cripple us yet again.

The basic rule we find in recruiting is that is the economy is good in an area then it is very difficult to get new officials. In areas where an economy hiccoughs we find there to be more bodies looking to officiate.

In closing:

The Oregon State Department of Employment gave the following test to determine if the officials in Oregon are employees:

1- Do you have to pay a fee to work for this association (company)?

2- Does that association (company) train you to perform your task?

3- Does that association (company) write you a paycheck for doing that task?

4- Does that association (company) have a singular contact with the clients you serve.

So in Oregon:

We pay fees for our NFHS packet and a fee to join the association. So we are a company on point one according to the OSDE.

We train all our umpires extensively on rules and mechanics . . . we even train them in game management. So we are a company on point two according to the OSDE.

As explained earlier our association receives payment for all schools before we see a pitch. We are then paid about 4 or 5 times a season by a check drawn on the account of the Portland Baseball Umpires Association (this is how all associations in the state do it). We receive a check from our employer. So we are a company on point three according to the OSDE.

In Oregon the ONLY way you can get an assignment for a varsity baseball game is to be assigned by an association. (I leave wiggle room here for sub-varsity games that are at times officiated by non-NFHS certified officials because there is a shortage of umpires). The associations have exclusive contact with schools in term of assignment of game officials. So we are a company on point four according to the OSDE.

Just as information: The PBUA does have a legally binding sub-contractor agreement that is required from each umpire that works in our association.

Regards,

Sounds like it's time for umpires to take a season off of school ball until the compensation is evened out. Nobody should take a pay cut over something like this.

And I'm thankful again that I'm a true IC in every sense of the word where I live.

[Rita C]

I wanted to know the "industry standard" before contacting him. I had reported to him that day that I only did one game.

The check may have been made out in advance as he contacted me from Florida.

I have a double header scheduled for this coming Sunday. We can probably square it with the check from that game.

Rita

[PeteBooth]

Rita for the most part our association does not have this problem because we are paid UP FRONT at the plate meeting. We had too many problems with the old adage "checks in the mail" so with the exception of some tournaments we do we get our money up front before one pitch is thrown. That way we do not have to "chase" the teams for money etc. especially if you make a controversial call or a call they do not like.

If we have a Double Dip we get paid the one game FEE first. If the game is cancelled due to whether we do not get paid for the second game, however, if the game gets cancelled because the team does not have enough players for the second game then we get paid a full game FEE.

"Mother Nature" is one thing a team not being able to field players is another.

I would contact my assignor FIRST if I got paid for a game I didn't do.

Pete Booth

[JRutledge]

Originally Posted by Rita C

I was scheduled to work a doubleheader on Sunday. It rained so hard that we only got in about 2 innings.

Today I received a check for both games. Is this the standard? I would have expected only payment for the one game.

Rita

You are paid for the commitment, not the game itself. You have no control over the weather or other factors that might not complete the games. This is the way it should be done and the way it is done in many circles. This would be no different if you show up to the game and ejections take place because of some action by a team. You are not responsible for the result.

Peace

[bobbybanaduck]

if you feel bad about keeping it, you can send the extra to me.