ESPN--Northwestern players get union vote

[ChristopherRyanWilkes]

Welfare and unemployment rates speak for itself. Humility and pride are words of the past. Smh. GMG.

[oldguystudent]

There WAS pie in the list of demands, right?

[JesseMartin]

There WAS pie in the list of demands, right?

Pie is ALWAYS supposed to be on the table.

[GrayEagle]

Is every (Northwestern/private university) recruit now automatically an union member subject to dues? Do they have a right to refuse?

What if a state or states refuse to consider them as employees? And they win? Would that force the private schools to form their own association? Now, if the scholarship included incidental expenses (which some do already) and the states agreed to add say, $2000 per year to the scholarship wouldn't that put the privates at a disadvantage since they must pay taxes on their earnings?

If some universities/states refuse to agree with the incidentals can they still remain members? Or, will they simply be at a recruiting disadvantage because their recruits will have to furnish more of their living expenses? Or would they be placed in a lower division? i.e. FCS.

I think that we've just opened Pandora's box.

[KRAM1]

Is every (Northwestern/private university) recruit now automatically an union member subject to dues? Do they have a right to refuse?

What if a state or states refuse to consider them as employees? And they win? Would that force the private schools to form their own association? Now, if the scholarship included incidental expenses (which some do already) and the states agreed to add say, $2000 per year to the scholarship wouldn't that put the privates at a disadvantage since they must pay taxes on their earnings?

If some universities/states refuse to agree with the incidentals can they still remain members? Or, will they simply be at a recruiting disadvantage because their recruits will have to furnish more of their living expenses? Or would they be placed in a lower division? i.e. FCS.

I think that we've just opened Pandora's box.

The Union has stated they will not be charging dues to the players. Doing this pro bono. That tell you anything?

[JesseMartin]

Did the players choose to unionize? This ruling only allowed them the right to do so; they still had to vote whether or not to form a union. I think the vote is sometime next week if it hasn't happened already.

[KRAM1]

Did the players choose to unionize? This ruling only allowed them the right to do so; they still had to vote whether or not to form a union. I think the vote is sometime next week if it hasn't happened already.

I think the vote is April 28th. I think I saw that in today's Dallas Paper.

[DeepGreen]

Wonder if the Northwestern Univ. administrators will hire a professional "union buster" to turn the majority of players away from union organization?

[forevereagle]

Wonder if the Northwestern Univ. administrators will hire a professional "union buster" to turn the majority of players away from union organization?

Well, not all players are as excited about the idea already.

[JesseMartin]

Oops, looks like we were both wrong. That article says the vote is April 25th.

[DeepGreen]

Oops, looks like we were both wrong. That article says the vote is April 25th.

The vote will go on. Union busters would educate those voting, prior to the 25th, on the negatives of unionization.

[JesseMartin]

I just meant Kram and I were wrong about the dates. I thought it was next week and he said the 28th. I agree with you that there will probably be a big surge of opponents pushing them to vote against it.

[Stix]

Board dismisses ruling to allow college athletes to unionize

CHICAGO –  

The National Labor Relations Board on Monday overturned a historic ruling that gave Northwestern University football players the go-ahead to form the nation's first college athletes' union, saying the prospect of union and non-union teams could throw off the competitive balance in college football.[/quote]

[KRAM1]

Well, for once common sense and reality prevailed.  Really happy to see this ruling by the NLRB today.  Article I read said that neither side had a right of appeal.  

[Rudy]

It's not the final word. This battle is not over yet.

[VideoEagle]

It's not the final word. This battle is not over yet.

A 5-0 vote by the NLRB means a union is dead for now. 5-0 votes on that board are EXTREMELY rare. And 5-0 NRLB votes are very, very, VERY rarely overturned.

[Rudy]

I agree.  I've just been hearing that they did not end the issue.  I forget the wording the news used.

[Christopher Walker]

I agree.  I've just been hearing that they did not end the issue.  I forget the wording the news used.

What you're trying to remember is the NLRB didn't sanction a players union so as not to disrupt a notion of competitiveness, but were very careful not to say that the Northwestern players are not university employees. It's that determination that will see longevity with this issue.

[UNTexas]

If these players want to be considered employees then all of the compensation & benefits should be taxed. If they want to be treated like big boys, then let them be treated as such.

Tuition, books, fees, room & board, cost of attendance, and tutors should all be taxable. In addition, they should all be excluded from any type of grant such as a Pell Grant. They use to encourage all players to apply for grants when I played. I agree with players getting a little help financially but to unionize is outrageous.

Employees my a$$. Next thing they'll want is retirement. This is stupid. 

[KRAM1]

Here is a perfect example of the attitude that reeks of entitlement when it comes to this Union crap and the COA argument...in the Thursday, 8/18 edition of The Virginian-Pilot newspaper, an opinion piece from the AP's Tim Dahlberg entitled "Athletes Are Winners Even On The Day They Lost" regarding the NLRB's vote (which, contrary to Rudy's thoughts on the matter, is final with neither side being granted the right of appeal) on unionization ends with the comment, "They, along with O'Bannon, shook up a cozy universe where the players who provide the entertainment got nothing while everyone around them split millions."

PURE UNADULTRATED BS!  The idea that college players get "nothing" reeks of entitlement mentality.  A college education is nothing these days? Graduating with zero debt is "nothing"?  And, how much of the money the university brings in goes back to training rooms, facilities, travel amenities, players medical treatment, player academic support, improved equipment, etc., etc.

Now, even I can agree that coaching salaries at the big time programs are pretty much out of hand, but those funds come from private sources not state or taxpayer dollars.  But, if any of our "entitled" working folks these days were required to put in the hours and be away from family as much as these big time program coaches are the high level of whine could probably be heard from coast to coast.

I will state again...if it is such a bad deal....don't play!  No one is forcing anyone to play.  And, for the umpteenth time...how about getting the NFL to pony up these COA dollars as the NCAA is providing a free minor league system.  Why has this concept not been approached by the NCAA?  This "entitled" attitude permeating today's sports and work environment is just pure crap-ola.  No one "owes" anyone just because they suck air.  Every parent and every player knew the deal going in....those poor Northwestern players initiating this Union crap were getting a pretty pricy education handed to them.  Poor poor mistreated serfs that they were.  Poor babies....whine on!  

[oldguystudent]

I am amused at how riled people get over this.  

For the record, from the moment my child could speak, I've been telling her that rule #1 is that nobody owes her anything, so I'm on board with earning one's keep.  

I do think, however, that were I to find myself and my likeness the focus of a multi-million dollar selling video game like Ed O'Bannon did, without my permission, I'd be pretty upset about it.  That goes quite a bit beyond playing a game in exchange for scholarship.

Eventually, I imagine that one of two things will happen:

1)  The NFL and NBA will form professional minor leagues like baseball.  This will mean that college athletes play for colleges because they either CHOSE to not get paid or they weren't good enough to get paid.  It also gets rid of pesky academic eligibility scams and nonsense majors so we alumni can all pat ourselves on the back over the "education" we're providing to our semi-literate running backs (please, this is not directed at UNT athletes.  As far as I understand things, our football players actually read and go to class) This is, in my opinion, the best outcome.

2)  The NFL and NBA start subsidizing the COA stipends at the top 20 or so colleges, and they become an athletic division unto themselves.  Those 20 schools will get all the television revenue, all the best players, and all the sweet, sweet coed action.  The remaining 100 schools present in FBS will be relegated to true amateur status.  Many alumni will gnash teeth, rend clothing.  I won't really mind so much.

Whatever the case may be, whatever the outcome, it just isn't something I'm going to let myself get worked up about.  It just isn't.  There are far more important things in my universe than whether a bunch of football players at a private university in Chicago get paid or not.

 

Edit:  The ubiquitous "Well, back in my day, things didn't work that way" argument is tired.  Back in my day, I went to college for free with no athletic skills whatsoever.  Everybody did.  Lots of things have changed drastically, including the landscape of what once was (with a HEAVY wink and a nudge) amateur sports.

Edited August 18, 2015 by oldguystudent

[Rudy]

 (which, contrary to Rudy's thoughts on the matter, is final with neither side being granted the right of appeal) on unionization ends with the comment,

Seriously?

[KRAM1]

 

Yes...seriously.  The NLRB's ruling indicated neither side has the right of appeal.  Ruling was final.  Even the lawyers representing the players in this have been quoted as saying that this pretty much ends this question once and for all.  

Was everyone aware that the original player votes were never even counted, and have now been destroyed?  Interesting.  In fact, as we see now, it was not even clear if the vote would have been in favor of unionize get in the first place.  Pretty interesting.

I have no clue how my answer is framed in an oldguystuent quote box....using this new GMG version with an iPad is still an adventure to say the least.

The reply is for Rudy....after his "Seriously?" Question.  Just adding additional info for him.

 

 

Edited August 18, 2015 by KRAM1

[Rudy]

Christopher Walker's post clarified what I mistook.

Edited August 18, 2015 by Rudy

[Quoner]

http://www.sportsonearth.com/article/143715722/northwestern-ncaa-union-decision-nlrb

"This decision is narrowly focused to apply only to the players in this case and does not preclude reconsideration of this issue in the future," the NLRB wrote.