A few years ago three of our MTOA referees took it upon themselves to undo years of MTOA policy and permit a tournament director to stop providing meals for officials. Since that time there have been numerous discussions in our board meetings about this issue and the current policy is:
"Meals
provided by the tournament enable the officials to remain on site for their
full shift. In cases where they are not provided, officials may leave their
site to obtain food as needed."
That basically means that if a tournament director does not provide meals then the official may leave the site to go purchase a meal at their own expense. That also means that the site is left unattended while the official is gone...
I am not looking to get into a debate over whether meals should be provided or not because they are ALWAYS provided when I am the referee or the tournament gives the official an additional $10 for their meal. I do find it interesting that in every case the tournament director is more than happy to take care of their officials. This post is to point out what happens when a site is unattended when a tournament director is trying to save the cost of a Subway meal but not providing meals for the officials...
In a recent ZAT tournament in the Metroplex the official had left to go get their lunch. During that time, a white mother accosted a black father and loudly accused him of cheating and coaching. The black father told the white mother to "f__k off" and the white mother left and soon returned with her white husband to settle things with the black father. A loud and abusive argument subsequently took place with no official on hand and a site director who was 18 and too young to do anything.
So, let me ask the question again, "Was it worth saving the cost of a Subway meal?"
Maybe those referees should have thought through the issue more thoroughly before they ignored MTOA policy.
Note: When the official returned to the site, the site director told him about the confrontation but there was nothing that could be done at that point. The tournament director then appeared--with a lunch in hand for the site director...
14 comments:
The official that left the ZAT site was you (I wonder why other referee's won't hire you for junior tournaments). We hear your dialogue about the past all the time but you never offer a solution for the future. Should the officials not work for a tournament that does not feed you? What is going to make the TD's buy you lunch?
Based on some of the officials I've seen working ZAT events, I'm not sure having an official on-site would have helped.
Speaking of the change in lunch policy, wasn't the MTOA President who implemented the change awarded Texas Umpire of the Year? Maybe she was thinking ahead, or either the Officials Committee really needs to rethink their bogus award program and actually select deserving officials.
Yes, it was me and there are no apologies for leaving. Its policy.
Not sure if other referees would hire me for junior tournaments but I do all I want to do for sure.
Personally, I would recommend that noone should work a tournament that doesn't provide meals. If they have no officials they can't hold their sanctioned tournaments without officials.
Like I said, its no skin off my nose but I think we should honor past policies (and certainly not ones that were instituted by three referees), and someone needs to speak up for these officials that just do without because noone will take a stand.
My solution is very plain. Either provide meals or we add $10 to the invoice for each official. Is that too hard to understand?
FYI. The three referees who ignored established policy were Susan Wertenberger, Cathy Kinnon, and Bruce Sampley.
Let's try to stay on topic here folks. The post isn't about whether or not they should provide meals but whether its worth the cost of a cheap sandwich to leave a site unattended.
Part of the problem is the Referees and tournament directors are always trying to cut costs by assigning a single official for 16+ courts. If sufficient officials are assigned, then we can all take breaks when necessary, including lunch, without incident. Until the staffing issue is solved, then tough luck if a problem should arise when an official is not present. We shouldn't be held accountable for the tournament staffs failure to adequately assign sufficient officials.
I thought there was a policy about naming names, and bashing other officials on this blog? That is not even taking into account the Officials Code (refer to the FAC to jog anyone's memory). Specifically naming someone should be taken care of in a private setting, like the MTOA avenue.
Anyway, back to the original topic, water, and lunch should be provided, it is simply the right thing to do. Officials, TD's and site directors are all people. Treat people with courtney and respect, simple as that.
Sorry about that previous comment. I was out of town and was permitting any comments to be posted but its gone now.
To the last idiot who wrote and who works at a call center and then works for $16/hour simply doesn't even know what he makes. The pay in DFW is $15/hour so that tells me a lot.
Keep your comments a little more civil and they might get posted.
Its $16 when you factor in your MANDATORY lunchable!!!
Now I am an idiot? I guess I am not "Civil."
Here is "civil" - should I ask my call center boss to pay for my lunch since I have to work the calls for 8+ hours... Or better yet - anyone else that has an hourly job. Does their BOSS OWE THEM LUNCH?
Your previous post which wasn't published did qualify you for being an idiot in my book...
$16 an hour because of our "mandatory" lunch? Obviously you can't add or know any history. The MTOA had lunches built into their fees for at least 12 years before the infamous three backtracked on what was being done.
Let me suggest that the next time you work that you tell your referee that you don't want lunch and will be glad to work at least a 14 hour shift. You're more than welcome to eat the cost yourself but we're sure not doing it.
If the MTOA had made a decision to forego lunches that would be one thing but they didn't. Just because someone doesn't get lunch provided at their call center basically has nothing to do with tennis...
Maybe the call center clown should publish his name so we can all be sure he never gets lunch and when we get a raise we can be sure he stays at the old rate. May as well let him be happy in his self-deluded martyrdom.
Just because trash collectors in Dallas make $9 an hour does that have anything to do with tennis officiating? Hell no. Same goes for whatever goes on in a call center.
It is doubtful that he even works anywhere.
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