Officials Strike in La?

[ajmc]

Sorry guys, but the harsh reality is that, IN GENERAL, schools, ADs, coaches and spectators (who pay school taxes) take the job we do (no matter how well we may do it) for granted and view us as a necessary evil. I'm afraid it's always been that way and there doesn't seem to be any great change on the horizon.

ADs and some coaches may appreciate the effort we put forth and the impact our performance has on the overall product, but even within those that appreciate what we do, few respect us as paid professionals on an equal level as themselves. Perhaps it's the "part-time" nature of what we do, not that conversion to full time makes any sense.

I suspect the teaching, coaching and administrative personnel in schools IN GENERAL view officials as being closer to PTA, school maintenance personnel, school bus drivers, teacher's aids and other positions that are designed to assist making their principal (and superior) roles easier. Some professional level school personnel are very adept and subtle at displaying their sense of superiority, while others are pretty blatant and smug.

The same people who are most offended at any suggestion that their group cut expenses to keep the entire group active, likely see that tactic perfectly reasonable as it relates to officials.

It is what it is, however, and has been that way since whenever we started.

[Rich]

Originally Posted by ajmc

The same people who are most offended at any suggestion that their group cut expenses to keep the entire group active, likely see that tactic perfectly reasonable as it relates to officials.

The teachers in my area pay nothing for health insurance and pay no copay at the doctor and have been screaming to high heavens at the suggestion that they join the rest of society in paying a share of their healthcare costs.

At a school I worked at on Saturday night, they have a timer, scorer, and 2 supervisors that all make more for the evening than the varsity officials do ($66 vs. $60). They all work a JV/V tilt, but they don't exactly have to run or do any heavy lifting. From what I told, there are people in the district willing to do this work on a volunteer basis, but union rules prohibit it.

[TXMike]

Looks like it is having an impact...

Referee sit-out forces cancellation of prep games - Plaquemine, LA - Plaquemine Post South

[Texas Aggie]

Mike, are we getting a preview of this coming fall in Texas?

[TXMike]

The principal issue is significantly different, i.e. in LA it is money, here it is "control" (although it did start as money). I suspect a lot more folks would be motivated by money than "control" so we might not see the numbers sitting in Texas that are in LA.

[Rich]

Predictably, some in LA are making it seem that the officials are taking away opportunities from the kids.

What those people forget is that this isn't charity work. If they want free (or very cheap) officials, let the parents come out of the stands (one from each team) and let them work the game for $31 each.

$31. I still can't get over that. We got $30 for a freshman game in PA in 1987 (the year I started). That's 24 years ago.

[Texas Aggie]

Sure that wasn't 2 freshman games, Rich? 30 is about what we got for 2 subvarsity games around then.

[Sonofanump]

Originally Posted by TXMike

Looks like it is having an impact...

Referee sit-out forces cancellation of prep games - Plaquemine, LA - Plaquemine Post South

"Officials are paid between $68 and $74 per game, depending on certification. The payscale remains the same regardless of the size of the school."

What is this about? Someone is misinformed since there is a large difference between $31 & $68.

[mbyron]

Originally Posted by Sonofanump

"Officials are paid between $68 and $74 per game, depending on certification. The payscale remains the same regardless of the size of the school."

What is this about? Someone is misinformed since there is a large difference between $31 & $68.

You might be confusing the pay for basketball and football officials.

[Rich]

Originally Posted by mbyron

You might be confusing the pay for basketball and football officials.

Football officials are paid up to $75. The referee gets $15 extra (I like that idea -- I'm willing to bet the one guy on the crew who I think would be a great referee but doesn't want to do it would sing a different tune if we had a pay differential ).

It stuns me that FB officials get $75 and basketball officials get $31 (3-person crew). Every other state I've been in pays officials about the same for each sport.

[BktBallRef]

Originally Posted by Sonofanump

"Officials are paid between $68 and $74 per game, depending on certification. The payscale remains the same regardless of the size of the school."

What is this about? Someone is misinformed since there is a large difference between $31 & $68.

I believe $68 to $74 is for a doubleheader, GV and BV.

[Sonofanump]

Originally Posted by BktBallRef

I believe $68 to $74 is for a doubleheader, GV and BV.

Thanks. Then the writter of the article is not using correct facts since he wrote "per game".

[parepat]

I've always said that they should pay us the same as they do the police officers who watch us do our job.