Football Officials Reach Agreement, Cancel Boycott Plans

High school football officials agreed to call off a boycott of the upcoming season Wednesday night after accepting a package of concessions offered by Southern Section Commissioner Stan Thomas.

The agreement came at a meeting in Glendora of the Southern California Football Officials Assn. executive committee. “Now we can get on with the football season,” said Thomas after six of seven chapters of officials voted not to boycott. The San Fernando Valley chapter abstained from voting but will comply with the agreement.

Thomas, who was accompanied by City Section administrators Jim Cheffers and Hal Harkness, offered a four-point proposal.

The major concession appeared to be that officials will be paid two full-game fees when working back-to-back junior varsity and varsity games. Previously, officials worked back-to-back games at a reduced fee.

Other concessions included a commitment by Thomas to meet with officials on an annual basis to discuss game fees, the addition of a fifth official for all playoff games, and a guarantee that there will be no retaliation in the form of withholding game assignment to officials who had pledged to boycott.

“The Southern Section and City need you people,” Thomas told the officials. “There’s no substitute for your professionalism.”

The pay scale for the upcoming season will not change: Officials will receive a raise of $1 a game. Three of four officials will earn $35 a game and the referee will earn $38. Officials sought an additional raise Wednesday, but Thomas made no guarantees.

The pay scale approved in May by the Southern Section calls for a $2 a game raise for each of the next two seasons. Next year’s talks could alter that agreement, however.

Although officials from the San Fernando Valley, Ventura County, San Gabriel Valley, South Bay, Los Angeles and Long Beach voted in May to boycott, those from the Orange County, Inland, Mojave and Foothill/Citrus associations decided not to walk out.

Those voting to boycott cited as reasons the Southern Section’s unwillingness to negotiate pay raises and back-to-back assignments.

“The CIF treats us like second-class citizens and we won’t tolerate it any longer,” said Dave Hull, president of the San Gabriel Assn., in May.

Representatives from the SCFOA and the Southern Section met on July 29 in what was termed by Hull a “historic and courageous move by the CIF,” but the talks broke off with no progress reported.

A subsequent letter from Thomas to principals of Southern Section schools requested that emergency replacements be trained in case of a walk-out.