Area Football Officials Returning To The Fields
High school and junior high football officials in the Spokane area agreed to return to the field, one week after voting not to work any more games until the method they are paid is changed.
“The Inland Empire Football Officials Association and WIAA Districts 7 and 8 came to an agreement and our officals will be back on the field tomorrow,” IEFOA president Jerry Skogstad said Sunday night.
Skogstad refused to elaborate but it is doubtful the method of payment was changed.
“Welcome back,” said Russ Brown, assistant executive director of District 7 who lined up substitute referees last week. “They are the best. I wouldn’t trade them.”
Prior to Oct. 1, referees were paid at game sites.
Because of complicated issues involving the Internal Revenue Service, school officals requested that the method of payment for referees be changed. A coalition of the various associations representing all sports couldn’t come to an agreement with the schools and the issue went to binding arbitration over the summer. Only soccer officals refused to go to arbitration.
Mike Colbrese, WIAA executive director, was the binding arbitrator and he sided with the schools. He gave the IEFOA and soccer referees until Oct. 1 to get organized for the change.
Soccer referees refused to work beginning Oct. 1 and referees are now hired from other sources.
Once the football referees worked one weekend without being paid on site, they voted not to work any more games. The referees said they did not agree to binding arbitration and information was withheld from them.
Colbrese decertified the referees last Monday, making them ineligible to work. Referees from other associations agreed to cover Spokane area high school varsity games last weekend, although a few games were moved to Thursday night to accomodate the visiting referees.
Coaches and retired referees worked other games. The only reported games lost to the walkout were junior high junior varsity games in Central Valley school district.
“I told (Skogstad) that as long as they’re going back on the field they’re recertified,” said Colbrese, contacted in Kansas City, Mo., where he is attending a National High School Federation meeting. “They’re ready to go. They basically said they would abide by the agreement.
“I think the real positive thing that came out of this is the schools and the officals know they have a long way to go to get along together and they’re working on that.”
, DataTimes