College Athlete Employment Push Puts Pro-Union Democrats in Bind

The issue of whether college athletes should be considered employees is dividing congressional Democrats, who are struggling to find a path forward as Republicans and the NCAA present a united front against the classification.

Even in the Democratic-controlled Senate, lawmakers are trying to balance their support for unions with concerns over the fallout of designating college athletes as employees under various federal labor and employment laws.

And that divide is prompting some members of Congress to look for a compromise.

“What I’m considering is the possibility that athletes could choose representatives to bargain for them without becoming employees,” Sen. Richard ...