Senate Republicans Oppose NLRB Decision Granting Union Rights to College Athletes

Concerned that last month’s surprise National Labor Relations Board decision allowing college football players to form a union could trigger union drives at other schools across the country, two Republicans took to the Senate floor April 11 to denounce the decision.

The players, who attend Northwestern University, are seeking to unionize for better safety protections. A regional NLRB director ruled March 26 that players who receive football scholarships qualify as employees under the National Labor Relations Act because they receive compensation and are subject to the employer’s control (44 OSHR 321, 4/3/14).

“Our message is that the opinion ...