[Jane Lane]

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/07/sp...open.html?_r=1

Much better quality article from the NY Times

[cowsonice]

Not allowed to give interviews without permission? Intense.

[stangtennis]

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-0...rtime-pay.html

Four U.S. Open Umpires Sue U.S. Tennis Association Demanding Overtime Pay


By Bob Van Voris - Sep 9, 2011 12:09 AM GMT+0200

Four U.S. Open umpires sued the U.S. Tennis Association, claiming the group misclassified them as independent contractors to avoid giving them overtime and other pay.

The umpires, who seek to represent hundreds of U.S. Open umpires going back to the 2005 Open, filed a complaint against the tennis governing body today in federal court in Manhattan. The suit claims the USTA violated federal and state pay laws and seeks unspecified damages on behalf of the umpires.

“Umpires were paid based upon a schedule set and dictated by defendant,” the umpires said in their complaint. “Umpires regularly worked in excess of 40 hours per week but were not properly paid wages due them including but not limited to overtime for hours in excess of 40 hours per week.”

The 2011 U.S. Open is currently under way at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Queens, New York.

Chris Widmaier, a USTA spokesman, declined to immediately comment on the suit.

The suit was filed by Steven Meyer and Marc Bell, both of whom live in Florida, and Larry Mulligan-Gibbs of Pennsylvania and Aimee Johnson of Louisiana. All have been employed by the USTA as umpires, according to the complaint.

The plaintiffs claim the USTA hires umpires for the Open and assigns their work, sets their pay and hours, prescribes a dress code and maintains policies governing umpire conduct on and off the court.

According to the umpires, pay for last year’s Open ranged from $115 a day for USTA sectional or provisional umpires in qualifying matches to $200 a day for gold-badge chair umpires in main-draw matches. Umpires often worked more than eight hours a day, seven days a week, depending on the length of matches and weather delays, they said.

The case is Meyer v. United States Tennis Association, 11- CV-6268, U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York (Manhattan).

To contact the reporter on this story: Bob Van Voris in New York at rvanvoris@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Michael Hytha at mhytha@bloomberg.net

[Rocketta]

hmm, I don't know if they are going to have a case... many people work more than 40 hours a week and don't get overtime... they are called exempt employees... ie, exempt from overtime pay....... I don't know what kind of contracts umpires sign or what kind of pay stub at the end of the year they get... If they get issued a 1099-misc.... they are screwed because they are independent contractors... if they get W-2s then they are not and it comes down to exempt or non-exempt.

hmmm, I bet they wished they had a union... but this type of treatment is really what most of the country has to look forward to with the conscious effort to undermine worker's rights in this country.

[woodrow1029]

it's 1099 income. Steven Meyer is an attorney that lives in Florida. Aimee Johnson is a Judge that lives in Louisiana.

[Rocketta]

Originally Posted by woodrow1029

it's 1099 income. Steven Meyer is an attorney that lives in Florida. Aimee Johnson is a Judge that lives in Louisiana.

well then they will probably have a really hard time proving that they are actually non-exempt employees... Good luck to them!

[stangtennis]

But being an attorney and a judge, they should know the legal system really well and be well prepared. They must believe they have a good case.

[Rocketta]

Originally Posted by stangtennis

But being an attorney and a judge, they should know the legal system really well and be well prepared. They must believe they have a good case.

or that they can cause enough problems that the USTA will be willing to settle the case instead of fighting a long drawn out case and change the pay scale in the future??

[woodrow1029]

Originally Posted by Rocketta

or that they can cause enough problems that the USTA will be willing to settle the case instead of fighting a long drawn out case and change the pay scale in the future??

This is what I think

[Raiden]

Originally Posted by stangtennis

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-0...rtime-pay.html

Four U.S. Open Umpires Sue U.S. Tennis Association Demanding Overtime Pay


By Bob Van Voris - Sep 9, 2011 12:09 AM GMT+0200

Four U.S. Open umpires sued the U.S. Tennis Association, claiming the group misclassified them as independent contractors to avoid giving them overtime and other pay.

The umpires, who seek to represent hundreds of U.S. Open umpires going back to the 2005 Open, filed a complaint against the tennis governing body today in federal court in Manhattan. The suit claims the USTA violated federal and state pay laws and seeks unspecified damages on behalf of the umpires.

“Umpires were paid based upon a schedule set and dictated by defendant,” the umpires said in their complaint. “Umpires regularly worked in excess of 40 hours per week but were not properly paid wages due them including but not limited to overtime for hours in excess of 40 hours per week.”

The 2011 U.S. Open is currently under way at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Queens, New York.

Chris Widmaier, a USTA spokesman, declined to immediately comment on the suit.

The suit was filed by Steven Meyer and Marc Bell, both of whom live in Florida, and Larry Mulligan-Gibbs of Pennsylvania and Aimee Johnson of Louisiana. All have been employed by the USTA as umpires, according to the complaint.

The plaintiffs claim the USTA hires umpires for the Open and assigns their work, sets their pay and hours, prescribes a dress code and maintains policies governing umpire conduct on and off the court.

According to the umpires, pay for last year’s Open ranged from $115 a day for USTA sectional or provisional umpires in qualifying matches to $200 a day for gold-badge chair umpires in main-draw matches. Umpires often worked more than eight hours a day, seven days a week, depending on the length of matches and weather delays, they said.

The case is Meyer v. United States Tennis Association, 11- CV-6268, U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York (Manhattan).

To contact the reporter on this story: Bob Van Voris in New York at rvanvoris@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Michael Hytha at mhytha@bloomberg.net

Dayum.

Didn't the USTA attempt to portray the boycotting/complaining umpires as if they were a bunch of isolated crybabies in far away lands? I guess they're not.

This appears to be a co-ordinated multi flank attack. I guess tennis umpires are smarter than the average bear

[tenn_ace]

So does anyone know what was the resolution of the lawsuit? Also, has the US Open increased umpire's pay in2012?

[woodrow1029]

The lawsuit did not involve chair umpires. Only line umpires.

[crescentmoon]

Originally Posted by Rocketta

well then they will probably have a really hard time proving that they are actually non-exempt employees... Good luck to them!

Well, it depends. I think 1099 is terrible but if they get a decent wage to offset the deductions they have to pay for themselves out of pocket it would help, but I doubt it.

OMG, never mind, I just saw the wages and they are terrible. Well, they are getting screwed IMO since they have 1099's.

[Jane Lane]

Bumping my thread from two years ago, eh.