Fair Play

Suffolk County scholastic sports officials are at odds with their governing body, Section XI, over stalled contract negotiations, which could have a ripple effect felt through the fall season and across the county’s student-athletes.

The President’s Council of Suffolk County Officials voted down a potential new contract, 44-3, on July 25. Their current contract expired at the end of June. And although the proposed new contract was ratified by the union’s negotiating committee, it was rejected by the council. The union is at odds over salary increases and the safety of the officials. The officials had asked for a whopping 33-percent increase in their wages, and were unhappy with the deal proposed by Section XI, which called for incremental raises — 2 percent the first year of the new contract and 3 percent in the second and third year of the three-year deal.

A delay in reaching a contract could delay the beginning of the fall sports season.

Referees, judges and umpires are fighting for raises to alleviate the burden felt by changes in the overall economy and the rising cost of living. However, a 33-percent raise is a tall ask by any stretch of the imagination, especially when being an official is a part-time job, and the Suffolk County group is already one of the highest paid in the country.

Section XI’s offering of incremental salary increases during the latest round of discussions seems a reasonable compromise to ensure that officials feel valued and recognized by the governing body.

Section XI is a nonprofit organization. The cost to employ the officials — estimated to be around $3.4 million for the upcoming school year — falls on the school districts, which pay to cover the entire operation. Due to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, inflation and other budget constraints, the districts are under immense pressure to adjust and stay within their budgets and the state tax cap, even as the costs of their operations continue to rise. With budgets already in place for the coming school year, funding a 33-percent hike for the officials might have been just too much to bear.

Part of the officials’ argument also concerns games beginning late or being postponed when busing becomes an issue. That is certainly a compounding problem that most school districts have little control over — there is a county-wide shortage of bus drivers, but Section XI still offered protection under the proposed contract it last presented.

Where school districts do come into play is in alleviating concerns the officials feel for their safety. Members of the athletic community have seen firsthand how cruel and depreciating parents, fans and other spectators can be toward officials, and even student athletes. And while Section XI has put rules into place that eject unruly guests and even ban them from subsequent contests, the onus does not fall squarely on Section XI, but school administrations and security to take threats and fights seriously and not only put in the necessary defensive measures, but to also take proactive measures following an incident to safeguard officials for subsequent games. It is up to the school districts to do their part.

It’s also important to remember that these issues not only affect officials and school districts, but they also hurt the thousands of student athletes across the county.

A delay in the start of the season could take away the opportunity for a recruiting film or college commitments for students looking to play sports at the collegiate level. This could be an especially unfortunate outcome for those upperclassmen, in particular, who might have already had other fall seasons crushed by the weight of the pandemic in recent years.

Both sides must find a way to reach consensus quickly, before the school begins again next month. Certainly, the officials must be fairly compensated for what sometimes feels like a thankless task, and Section XI must make every effort to ensure the officials get what they deserve. At the same time, the officials must take into the account the limitations faced by school districts actually funding Section XI. And both sides would do well to remember that it’s the students who are the ultimate beneficiaries of their efforts, and who must always come first.