Labor board: Northwestern University football players can unionize

[BamaBronco16]

It's a very short article but interesting to see the lengths the players are going to go to get paid to play in college.


http://www.cnn.com/2014/03/26/us/nor...ion/index.html

[El Minion]

NU College football players eligible to unionize

Northwestern athletes win NLRB case, ruled to be employees
NCAAF
BY MARC WEINREICH


Northwestern quarterback Kain Colter lobbies to join the newly formed College Athletics

Northwestern University athletes won their case before the National Labor Relations Board on Wednesday and were ruled to be employees eligible to form a union.

The win on March 26 effectively gives the student-athletes collective bargaining rights. The school said on Wednesday afternoon that a statement from the school will come soon, according to a tweet from NCAA reporter Allie Grasgreen, but that the university will in fact appeal. The official ruling between Northwestern University — the employer — and CAPA — the petitioner — can be found here.

The landmark ruling affects only students at private universities. State university college athletes who want to unionize must appeal to their state’s labor board. The five points attorneys for CAPA argued for why NU athletes should be considered employees are as follows, according to Chris Johnson of Sports Illustrated:

Football players at Northwestern are compensated for a service (i.e. football) with athletics-based grants-in-aid, or scholarships; they have supervisors (i.e. coaches) who control their schedules and monitor what they say on social media; they must abide by certain rules and regulations, and are held to different standards than other students; they can have their compensation taken away (i.e. have their scholarship revoked) for violating those rules and lose their jobs (i.e. their spots in the lineup) if they skip practices or games; and they have a contract (i.e. an athletic tender agreement) that stipulates what they must do to maintain their scholarship.

CAPA had been looking for “guaranteed coverage for injuries during sanctioned competition,” according to Johnson, as well as a “trust fund” to subsidize former players who want to continue their education. It had also lobbied for less contact during scrimmages and practices in addition to concussion experts on the sidelines during games who are not in any way affiliated with the school.

NU quarterback Kain Colter tweeted his excitement following the breaking news, saying he’s proud of his teammates and considers it a “huge win for all college athletes.”

[rugbythug]

Chicago

[Mediator12]

Chicago

Yep, perfect place to make that argument. WOW, I can not even begin to think of how this would change college football.

[TheElusiveKyleOrton]

Colleges currently make mountains of money off the likenesses and abilities of these athletes. Mountains and mountains of money. The kids get squat. And yes, I know a college degree is worth something; it's just worth far less than it was 50 or even 20 years ago.

[ludo21]

Should be noted that Kain the QB is going to be graduating...

We are a short time away from when CFB breaks away from the NCAA and their crapfest of regulations.

[Sideburn]

Football players at Northwestern are compensated for a service (i.e. football) with athletics-based grants-in-aid, or scholarships; they have supervisors (i.e. coaches) who control their schedules and monitor what they say on social media; they must abide by certain rules and regulations, and are held to different standards than other students; they can have their compensation taken away (i.e. have their scholarship revoked) for violating those rules and lose their jobs (i.e. their spots in the lineup) if they skip practices or games; and they have a contract (i.e. an athletic tender agreement) that stipulates what they must do to maintain their scholarship.

The same can be said for Academic scholarships. So not only are we going to pay revenue generating athletes, along with non revenue generators, but academics as well? Good luck with that.

[TheElusiveKyleOrton]

From REDDIT:

NU player here on a throwaway. This isn't about getting paid. What it is about is protection. Many of us will have numerous injuries throughout our playing careers. A group of those players will continue to feel the effects of those injuries long after their playing days are over. The goal is to have some sort of medical protection if we need surgeries stemming from injuries sustained while playing for our university. Another goal is graduate school for those who were fortunate enough to play as a true Freshman. Most student-athletes get redshirted in their first year, and receive one year of grad school payed for in their fifth year of eligibility. We feel as though it is fair to ask for the same investment from the university all around. It isn't about getting an extra $200 a month for spending. We have our stipend, and if we budget correctly we are able to make it stretch for the month. Would it be nice to have some part of jersey sales or memorabilia sales? Absolutely. But that is not the goal as of right now.
Just wanted to add in that I am extremely thankful for the opportunity I have been given to not only play football, but to attend a world class university such as Northwestern. It is an opportunity millions dream of having. We are treated well at Northwestern, but unfortunately that is not the case at many other schools. Hopefully we can create a voice for the players and clean up these issues.

[Johnykbr]

Should be noted that Kain the QB is going to be graduating...

We are a short time away from when CFB breaks away from the NCAA and their crapfest of regulations.

Title IX keeps this from happening. If a super conference is ever formed, they will be sued out of existence quickly enough and all the governors, senators, and congressmen from the have-not states will scream bloody murder as well.

[Johnykbr]

Colleges currently make mountains of money off the likenesses and abilities of these athletes. Mountains and mountains of money. The kids get squat. And yes, I know a college degree is worth something; it's just worth far less than it was 50 or even 20 years ago.

The problem with this is that the colleges also spend mountains and mountains of cash on these programs so at the end of the day, the list of actually profitable programs is not really that big.

[Jay3]

Yay! One more thing we like destroyed by blood-sucking unions!

[TheElusiveKyleOrton]

Yay! One more thing we like destroyed by blood-sucking unions!

Yay! Kids being used up and spit out by another American system!

[Jay3]

The problem with this is that the colleges also spend mountains and mountains of cash on these programs so at the end of the day, the list of actually profitable programs is not really that big.

There are basically two sports that generate surplus cash -- football and basketball. Those revenues pay for everything else in the sports program.

Nobody seems to want to apply the "slaves to the man" analogy to women's softball or track and field.

[TheElusiveKyleOrton]

There are basically two sports that generate surplus cash -- football and basketball. Those revenues pay for everything else in the sports program.

Nobody seems to want to apply the "slaves to the man" analogy to women's softball or track and field.

Nobody is using the pictures and uniform numbers of female athletes in those sports to sell jerseys and season tickets and video games.

[ludo21]

what? My numbered college jersey represent the school! not the player!