Changing Referee Boards & Contracts
 

Hello fellow officials.

Our board here in Connecticut is currently involved in a merger situation.

Our board is considering merging with IAABO this season. Are there any suggestions or experiences you can share with me about getting a fair shake when Basketball boards merge assignment and contract wise?

Would appreciate any referrals, links, or input Please?

Concerned CT REF

IMO it the best that can happen for your association with IAABO. If you meet all the requirements of certifications you are entitled to fair share of quality games. If your association isn't bound by any board, and someone has the $h*t for you, you won't get your fair shake of quality games. I work for two associations, I get some good games for one and the other the assignor has something in for me and I don't there. One is IAABO and the other is not.

That just my IMO, some may have different feeling about other issue, such as % to pay..

Norm!!

("What's up, Mr. Peterson?" "My nipples, Woody. It's cold out there!")

It seems to me that your question is not so much about joining IAABO, as it is about being the "new guys" in a merger situation. If I'm right about that, then the people that you really need to talk to are the officers of the local IAABO board that you'll be joining. Ask them straight-out how new members with significant experience can expect to be treated.

If they tell you that you'll be treated just like rookies and have to work your way back up to a varsity schedule, then you may decide against merging. If they tell you that the top-rated 20% of your old board will receive varsity schedules, then maybe you consider it.

But I don't think anybody here can answer that for you. It will all depend on the people within that IAABO board and the assignor for that area. Good luck. I hope it goes smoothly for you.

Thank you,

I am soliciting responses of officials who have either personally been affected or have information to share about someone they know being affected by a merger and what would be helpful for us to know before going into discussions:

thanks.

Fyi, Chuck Elias is the Rules Interpreter for his IAABO board in Mass. If you have any questions about IAABO itself, I'm sure Chuck will be able to enlighten you.

I think that no matter what anyone tells you, our situations are not going to be the same. I currently belong to 3 different basketball associations and each is very different and has different things to offer. I think Chuck was right on because no one here is going to be able to share something with you that will definitely help you. Even if someone was hurt by a merger that would be based on the people they were dealing with. If a merger was done, I am sure some of the leadership had a good reason. I do not understand why it would matter if IAABO is involved, because assigning would seemed assigning issues from what I understand is a local issue not an IAABO issue. I guess there is always an option to leave this organization, but it is possible that might not be a realistic option or an easy decision to make.

Peace

Unless Chuck has experience negotiating contracts I would say his advice is about as good as...ohhhh...I dunno...yours maybe?

I predict years of badness unless whatever you do gets written into your *NEW* contracts.

Well, seeing I said that the original poster should ask Chuck about IAABO only, not negotiating contracts with IAABO, I would say that you missed my point.

And...actually, I do have experience negotiating contacts. You can't negotiate anything until you know what the stance of each side is. We don't know that in this case, do we? That makes it kinda hard to give anybody any advice imo.

Maybe I missed your point, but you didn't miss mine.

This merger has to be handled carefully through existing or new contracts.

btw, as far as I know IAABO does not negotiate contracts between assignors & local boards.

Nope, but local IAABO boards can negotiate some contracts....with assignors, other boards, schools, etc.

Btw, I think that we had the same point all along anyway. It's a negotiation.

IAABO, can act as a mediator if there are a lot of disappointed officials. IAABO is almost like a union IMO.

How would this work? I've never heard of IAABO's mediation services. Additionally, the disappointed officials would most likely be in Norm's organization, which is not IAABO-affiliated at this time. They're looking to merge with a local IAABO board. It's unlikely that IAABO Int'l is going to mediate for non-IAABO members.

It wouldn't work. IAABO's mission statement is “To train and educate as to rules and mechanics of basketball.” Some areas require IAABO membership as a means of guaranteeing their officials are properly trained, but AFAIK contract negotiations, assignments, fees, penalties, grievance, etc are all mostly outside of IAABO's area, although I believe the by-laws provide guidance for individual associations to follow in some cases. Again, I know of no contract negotiations that use IAABO as mediator.

And in a situation like this, the IAABO Executive would be crazy to get involved in any kind of mediation/abitration between one of their affiliated boards and a non-IAABO association anyway. They'd be in a no-win situation, no matter which way that they'd rule. For or against, one side is gonna be pissed off at 'em. IAABO would hardly be looked on as a "neutral" body.

You treat this the same way as any 2 local associations anywhere that are looking to merge. THey have to iron out all the detail amongst themselves, and they both have to be happy at the end. If not, it ain't gonna work.