Area Football Refs Vote To Walk Out Over Method Of Pay

High school football referees in the Spokane area voted overwhelmingly Sunday night not to work any more games this season unless the method in which they are payed is changed.

That will probably lead to a major rescheduling of area games served by Inland Empire Football Officials Association referees as local school representatives try to get referees from other associations to work games.

“Right now we’ve made a decision,” IEFOA president Jerry Skogstad said late Sunday night. “We’re still talking to the two school districts (Washington Interscholastic Activities Association districts 7 and 8). Our position is very firm.”

“We will not cancel games,” said Russ Brown of Medical Lake, assistant executive secretary of District 7.

Representatives of the Greater Spokane League, Frontier League, Northeast A and the area Class B leagues are meeting this morning to work out the problem they face.

Brown declined further comment.

The worst case scenario, if no games are canceled, is games would be rescheduled on Thursdays and Saturdays because of the severe shortage of referees. Referees from other associations would be obligated to work games in their area first and most of those are on Friday nights.

The major contention is how football referees are paid, though Skogstad said the issue is much more complicated than that and more issues are involved.

In the past, referees for all sports were paid by the schools when they showed up for a game. However, schools wanted to pay the association for each sport a lump sum and have the association pay the individual. The GSL paid football referees $40 a game a year ago.

Referees want to remain classified as independent contractors and not employees, which could happen if they are paid through the association. If employees of the association, the association would have to file W-2 forms with the Internal Revenue Service reporting their wages.

If they are independent contractors of the association, the association is required to report non-employee compensation if the total is $600 or more. However, no 1099 form is needed for earnings of less than $600, a total that would not be met if each school is a separate payor.

When the schools and a coalition representing Spokane officials associations couldn’t agree on the form of payment plus two other lesser issues, they requested binding arbitration. Washington Official Association by-laws make the executive secretary of the WIAA the arbitrator. In this case, that is Mike Colbrese.

Colbrese ruled that the schools could pay the associations. The change was to take place in October to give associations working fall sports time to make the transition.

Soccer officials said they wouldn’t abide by the ruling and in October quit working games. However, most of the officials joined a new association and kept working this month when the payment change kicked in and no games were postponed, although some soccer games were played without linesmen.

Colbrese said earlier this week representatives of the Inland Empire Football Officials Association agreed to the binding arbitration but have waffled back and forth for the past month.

Skogstad said negotiations have gone on for about six months but the referees were not given all of the facts prior to binding arbitration.

He said the referees were not told three associations are already in battle with the IRS related to the independent contractor-employee designation.

“We were backed into a corner. We’re not going to service schools, effective tomorrow,” Skogstad said. “Something could change before midnight.”

Before the referees voted and prior to leaving the state on Sunday for a meeting, Colbrese said he had assured the referees complete support from the WIAA in any dispute with the IRS because of his decision. He also said if that failed, referee agreements with the schools would be restructured so referees would not take a “pay cut” because of increased taxes.

Skogstad said his group has sought advice from a wide variety of experts and all urged the referees “don’t do it.”

“There are a lot of things involved… .,” Skogstad said. “There’s a lot more to it than that. . . .”

There are 167 officials associations in Washington and two-thirds pay referees through the association, according to Colbrese, who is out of the state on business.

“I’m not so sure what the issue is right now,” Colbrese said before the vote, “but it’s a very emotional issue.”

Contacted in Oregon after the vote, Colbrese said,”They don’t have an option, they agreed to go to binding arbitration. We’ve talked about an injunction but it’s a little difficult to get an injunction to force someone to work.”

, DataTimes