Organization Matters

[Freddy]

In our state all officials are registered with the state association but are independent contractors for officiating services provided to schools, with each official expected to be a member of a local association for purposes of training. Fees paid for regular season games are determined solely by the schools.
Are there any states whose officials have organized themselves together as a group, for instance for purposes of training and collective bargaining with the schools through the state association?

[JRutledge]

Sounds eerily like my state.

Peace

[MD Longhorn]

Organizations like this are slowly starting to find themselves on the wrong side of the employee/contractor argument.

[LRZ]

In PA, there is (or was) interest in an organization called Pennsylvania Sports Officials Union (PASOOC), after an NLRB ruling that officials were employees, not independent contractors. I think that ruling was appealed, but I do not know the current status.

[RefRich]

Originally Posted by LRZ

In PA, there is (or was) interest in an organization called Pennsylvania Sports Officials Union (PASOOC), after an NLRB ruling that officials were employees, not independent contractors. I think that ruling was appealed, but I do not know the current status.

The PASOOC was allowed to try and have a majority vote for a union. Not sure how it went on the Eastern side of the state but there wasn't a lot of desire, in my opinion, on the Western side. The last I heard, they didn't get enough people to vote. That may be incorrect though. The state association is being very quiet about the whole thing.

In PA we have the state association, PIAA and each official must belong to a local chapter.

[Maineac]

Originally Posted by Freddy

Are there any states whose officials have organized themselves together as a group, for instance for purposes of training and collective bargaining with the schools through the state association?

Yes.

[SC Official]

In South Carolina, SCHSL officials belong to the South Carolina Basketball Officials Association (SCBOA). Hypothetically, we're an independent entity, but not in practice. The SCHSL assigns all varsity games, receives our registration fees, writes our exam, and essentially controls every facet of basketball and football officiating in the state, and they'll never give up that control unless the coaches and ADs start complaining.

SC is a weird state to officiate in.

[Freddy]

Thanx to all who responded. Except for Maineac . Found a June 2016 Referee magazine article on what they were trying to do in MS, LA, and PA. Was more a historical question than anything. I knew it had something to do with independent contractor status issues or something like that.

[Maineac]

Originally Posted by freddy

except for maineac :d.

[The_Rookie]

In California..we have the CBOA which is made up of area associations. Game Fees are negotiated by the CBOA Board with the CIF which is made of the schools. All schools pay same game fees.

[LRZ]

I think that the independent contractor/employee question has also arisen in several Third Circuit law suits alleging sex discrimination. If I recall correctly, in the one from PA against PIAA, the plaintiff prevailed on both the employee issue and the merits of her claim.

[Nevadaref]

Originally Posted by The_Rookie

In California..we have the CBOA which is made up of area associations. Game Fees are negotiated by the CBOA Board with the CIF which is made of the schools. All schools pay same game fees.

That may be the way it is in your area, but that is not true for all of California. My group isn't part of CBOA at all.

[RefCT]

In CT, all officials are members of the local IAABO board that serves the town where they reside. If you work in a different area and want to officiate there, you have to become a dual member and still have the board serving your home town as your home board. There are many officials that belong to their home board and officiate for a different board through the dual membership option.

All the local boards report to the state board, who works closely with the CIAC (manages high school athletics in CT). Our fees are the same throughout the state and (I think) tied to the COL adjustment teachers negotiate through collective bargaining (or something like that - Billy probably knows more on this aspect). So, basically, every year, we usually get a small increase in the game fee.

All the board have commissioners that assign all the games for schools that board serves.

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by RefCT

In CT, all officials are members of the local IAABO board that serves the town where they reside. If you work in a different area and want to officiate there, you have to become a dual member and still have the board serving your home town as your home board. There are many officials that belong to their home board and officiate for a different board through the dual membership option.

In some parts of Connecticut, it's becoming more difficult to live in one assigning area (usually by county) and officiate in another assigning area. Thirty years ago it was very common to be such a "dual" member, which allowed an official who lives in one area to officiate games in another area; where he works, where he grew up, where he first started officiating, where he went to college, etc. That's starting to change. My local board no longer allows "dual" members, other than those who have been grandfathered in. If you want to officiate in my little corner of Connecticut, you must reside in my little corner of Connecticut. I don't believe that it's a statewide policy, but rather, is handled by each local board.

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by RefCT

All the local boards report to the state board, who works closely with the CIAC (manages high school athletics in CT). Our fees are the same throughout the state, tied to the COL adjustment teachers negotiate through collective bargaining ... So, basically, every year, we usually get a small increase in the game fee.

RefCT is correct, with one caveat. Due to decreasing State educational subsidies to local school systems, the IAABO State board, and the CIAC, have agreed that officials will not be getting a fee increase next year. I guess I'll have to go back to officiating croquet to make up for the income shortfall due to inflation.

(Note: Game fees for 2016-17: Varsity fee: $94.63; Subvarsity fee: $61.39)