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Labor agency plays hardball with 12-, 13-year-old umps
By Ted Gregory
Tribune staff reporter
Published April 18, 2002
Twelve-year-old Brian Glennon planned to spend his summer
calling balls and strikes for 8-year-old batters, earning $10
a game from the Darien Youth Club baseball league. But thanks
to an anonymous complaint, Brian and 35 other young umpires
have been fired before the first pitch.
Citing child-labor laws, the Illinois Department of Labor told
the league in March to stop paying umpires who are not yet 14.
"It kind of stinks," said Brian, who completed
umpiring classes during the winter to qualify for the job,
"because there's absolutely no point to it if you're not
going to get paid."
Parents and at least one state lawmaker agree, and a campaign
is under way to change the law, which, with few exceptions,
restricts anyone under 14 from working for pay.
Busting underage summer employment programs has become
something of a rite of spring at the state and federal
departments of labor. Two years ago, the Kenilworth Park
District ended a three-decade tradition of hiring junior high
counselors after the state agency notified the district it was
violating state law.
In 1996, Northbrook Park District was fined $6,075 by the U.S.
Department of Labor for employing underage kids to wash golf
balls and work in a concession area. A year earlier, Mt.
Prospect Park District paid $15,950 for similar child-labor
violations.
About the same time, Dundee Township, Wilmette Park District,
Lincolnwood Parks and Recreation Department and Wheeling Park
District also paid fines totaling nearly $30,000 for state and
federal violations.
The Darien league, which has been hiring umpires like Brian
for most of its 42 years, pays the boys $10 per game, usually
for a maximum of 10 games and only in the more relaxed
atmosphere of the 8-year-old division.
After receiving an anonymous complaint, the Illinois
Department of Labor audited the league in February; in March,
it notified league officials of 180 violations. Besides using
underage umpires, the club was cited for violations including
failure to keep a registry of minor employees and their
schedules and for not keeping employment certificates.
The league could theoretically be fined $900,000, more than
seven times its yearly budget.
Irate parents are collecting signatures to petition for a
change in state law. They have enlisted the support of several
lawmakers, including state Sen. Kirk Dillard (R-Westmont), a
former Little League umpire, who called the situation
ridiculous. Dillard has sent letters to the Labor Department
and the Illinois Park District Association, asking them to
make changing the law a priority.
"I find it unbelievable, with all the problems the State
of Illinois has," Dillard said, "that the Illinois
Department of Labor picks on children who are umpiring games
and in essence, discourages something as wholesome as youth
baseball."
Brian's mother, Catherine, is confident she will be able to
persuade her son to volunteer to umpire, which is what the
Darien organization is asking the youngsters to do. But, she's
more than a little peeved.
"I'm very disappointed," Catherine Glennon said.
"I don't look at it as a child-labor violation. The kids
want to do it. It's interesting and fun. They want to make the
money, and there aren't a lot of opportunities for these kids
to do that."
Suzanne Davis, manager of the fair labor standards division at
the state agency, was quick to note that it is highly unlikely
anything approaching the maximum $900,000 fine will be imposed
at an agency hearing June 13.
She acknowledged that going after private, non-profit youth
leagues, many of which use paid, underage umpires and
referees, is unusual. Veterans in the department recall
"two or so" that were cited in the last decade for
using underage umpires, she said.
"We are a complaint-driven agency," said Davis, who
is overseeing the Darien Youth Club case. "When we get a
complaint, we respond. I think we responded quite well."
Despite her unpopular position, Davis also says her agency may
be protecting the parents and children. "They need to be
enjoying their summers," she said of the children, noting
recent cases in which overzealous parents have become violent
at youth sports events.
"This can be very physically and psychologically
dangerous for these kids," Davis said. "It's
something that everyone understands."
But league officials said no parent has ever harassed a 12- or
13-year-old umpire.
Darien Youth Club President Ray Jablonski hopes many of the
kids will work as volunteers when the season starts April 27.
He will fill the gaps with older umpires and parents.
Meanwhile, enterprising parents are plotting, talking about
tipping the volunteer umpires, or passing the baseball cap at
games.
"I feel bad for the kids because the little bit of
spending money they earn is being taken away from them,"
Jablonski said.
Copyright © 2002, Chicago
Tribune
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