Big, big news and a big first step to fairness in college athletics:
The National Labor Relations Board in Chicago has ruled that football players at Northwestern University are employees and can unionize, the board said Wednesday.For more on the reaction check out Kari's post about this. While this is a huge deal, this is only the very first step in what is likely to be a very long journey. Ned Resikoff mad a really great chart for those that aren't familiar with our labor laws:
In a statement, Northwestern acknowledged the ruling and says it plans to appeal.
The players' petition was a way to get a seat at the bargaining table in college sports and could change the landscape of the NCAA model.
Northwestern University fought the petition by saying its players are students, not employees.
But the board's decision indicates that there was enough evidence presented that the athletes are employees of the university -- getting paid in the form of scholarships, working between 20 and 50 hours per week and generating millions of dollars for their institutions.
The athletes have said they're seeking better medical coverage, concussion testing, four-year scholarships and the possibility of being paid.
To understand how deeply screwed US labor law is, read this and check out the chart below: http://t.co/mH4L36vVFw pic.twitter.com/XL1gJKsqeL
— Ned Resnikoff (@resnikoff) March 28, 2014
The NCAA's days of massively profiting on unpaid labor are numbered, and you can look back on this week as when it really started to unravel.
No comments:
Post a Comment