Players win bid to unionize

[Alan]

http://espn.go.com/college-football...rn-wildcats-football-players-win-bid-unionize

Players win bid to unionize
Updated: March 26, 2014, 3:26 PM ET
By Brian Bennett | ESPN.com

In a potentially game-changing moment for college athletics, the Chicago district of the National Labor Relations Board ruled on Wednesday that Northwestern football players qualify as employees and can unionize.

NLRB regional director Peter Sung Ohr cited the players' time commitment to their sport and that their scholarships were tied directly to their performance as reasons for granting them union rights.

Ohr wrote in his ruling that Wildcats players "fall squarely within the [National Labor Relations] Act's broad definition of 'employee' when one considers the common law definition of 'employee.'"

Ohr ruled that Northwestern players can hold an election on whether they want to be represented by the College Athletes Players Association, which brought the case to the NLRB along with former Wildcats quarterback Kain Colter and the United Steelworkers Union.

Northwestern issued a statement shortly after the ruling saying it would appeal to the full NLRB in Washington.

"While we respect the NLRB process and the regional director's opinion, we disagree with it," the statement read. "Northwestern believes strongly that our student-athletes are not employees, but students. Unionization and collective bargaining are not the appropriate methods to address the concerns raised by student-athletes."

CAPA supporters, meanwhile, celebrated the news. Colter tweeted: "This is a HUGE win for ALL college athletes!"

The start of an avalanche?

 

[Rams and Gators]

Could be the beginning of the end...or could make no difference what so ever, time will tell.

 

[brokeu91]

Well, this will change some things

 

[Selassie I]

LOLOLOLOLOLOL

 

[NJRamsFan]

Wow

 

[Thordaddy]

Big 9?

 

[PowayRamFan]

Big 9?

The Big 10.....again

 

[LesBaker]

I'm not sure who was able to argue that the student-athletes are employees and win that discussion but I think he or she should be awarded Salesperson of the Year based on that alone.

 

[jrry32]

I'm not sure who was able to argue that the student-athletes are employees and win that discussion but I think he or she should be awarded Salesperson of the Year based on that alone.

They are basically employees.

 

[Rambitious1]

Good grief.

 

[The Rammer]

HaHa going to see those greedy schools, conferrences, and bowl games get slapped with having to pay these players they make milllions, maybe billions off of.

 

[Alan]

LesBaker with this:
I'm not sure who was able to argue that the student-athletes are employees and win that discussion but I think he or she should be awarded Salesperson of the Year based on that alone.

They get paid for playing a sport (scholarship + R&B + monthly stipends) and their pay is based on their play, as in they lose their scholarship if they don't make the team or get cut.

Even worse, if they suffer a career ending injury they get nothing at all. For anything. Ever. Thank Buddha for Obamacare. My brother blew out his knee wrestling in college and lost his scholarship. He had to come to me for help with his medical expenses for his rehabilitation. I was in the Air Force at the time and wasn't able to help him very much. He limped until the day he died. That can't happen anymore. In some states.

 

[CGI_Ram]

Dumb. Geez.

 

[Ramhusker]

No where but Chicago!

 

[jjab360]

So... how long before players start getting paid coming out of high school?

 

[Alan]

They don't get scholarships in HS.

 

[fearsomefour]

The vase majority of players dont get scholorships. A college football team might carry 80 players or more, there are not 80 scholorships floating around.
Many sports, like baseball, will often split scholorships. Not uncommon for a player to receive a 15% scholorship for class costs and a break on a dorm room (for example).
I dont think we are looking at any major change because of the unintended consequences of paying players. ALL players would have to be paid. That would lead to most sports, mens and womens, going away.
Pay players? No. Allow players (like JM) to control their likeness? Yes. Allow a player to get a cut of a jersey sale bearing their name? Yes