Friday, October 6, 2006
Mike Carter
Ladies and Gentlemen of NBUA,
My name is Mike Carter, and I am candidate for the Board of Directors. The 2006 baseball season represents my 37th season of umpiring baseball with the last 15 seasons in the NBUA.
I am running for the NBUA Board to strengthen advocacy for our 'working' umpires regarding a couple of things that have happened this past year.
• The adoption of the give back fee with insufficient input from our membership
• Ignoring a resolution that our membership overwhelmingly adopted at the March 2006, General Meeting.
After increasing concern was expressed on NBUA2 ListServ regarding the new 'give-back' policy and after reading and realizing the policy has no provisions about injured umpires as an exception to the give back fee, I became concerned. I sent an e-mail to the chair of the give back committee expressing my concerns that being injured was not an exception for giving back games. I was informed at that time that was the cost of doing business. I respectfully believe that getting injured umpiring a game is not a cost of doing business. Coaches are allowed to come onto the diamond to attend to an injured player without being charged a conference or a visit, why can't the give back policy extend the same professional courtesy to injured umpires?
The firestorm that was created when the give back policy was published in the Indicator could have been avoided had the board put out a notice that they were considering adopting this policy and wanted feedback from the members. If members were allowed to throw in their 2 cents on a major policy revision they would have been happier being allowed to express themselves. When I am on board and there is a major decision under consideration that effects the members of NBUA, I will seek input from the general membership. Prior to throwing my hat into the ring as a board candidate I e-mailed several members to get their input on a platform, and I will do the same as a board member get your input before making a major decision that will affect the members of NBUA.
At the March General Meeting a resolution was brought to the floor for consideration by the membership that NBUA support the Minor League Umpires in their strike against minor league baseball. The resolution was debated and overwhelmingly passed by the membership. Yet a board member was contacting college umpires to see if they were interested in working Northwest League games in Everett if the Minor League Umpires were still on strike. When I am elected and the membership adopts resolution directing the board to do something, I will support that resolution 100% and not go against the wishes of the membership and show a dichotomous position that scarifies professional integrity and solidarity among umpires in our region.
In addition to baseball I also officiate football. I will be open-minded and listen to all the members so their concerns can be addressed at the appropriate level and will contact members periodically to find out how the board can better serve NBUA.
I am a Certified Bookkeeper with over nine years' experience working to insure that a firm's books are properly maintained. Working in the private business sector has made me aware of how a business should be operated, and that proper procedures should be in place to insure the business entity continues to be a going concern. This will be extremely important to NBUA because of the number a games we officiate and the amount of revenues that these games generate.