The Dartmouth College men’s basketball team is trying to become the first college sports team to successfully form a union.There have been other sports teams that have tried to do what the Big Green is doing, and legal experts said other colleges should get ready for more of such efforts.”Colleges should really be prepared or getting ready for a world where their athletes have a legal right to employment,” said University of New Hampshire School of Law professor Mike McCann.McCann said the Dartmouth team faces the same challenge other teams have faced in their unionization attempts.”It really depends on whether or not they can make the case that they ought to be recognized as employees,” he said.The 15 players filed a petition Wednesday with the National Labor Relations Board as a part of the Local 560 chapter of the Service Employees International Union, excluding managers and supervisors.”This will take a while to play out,” McCann said. “It’s certainly not going to be resolved any time soon.”The NLRB applies to most private sector employers, including private universities. All eight Ivy League schools are private and do not offer scholarships, only financial aid.Dartmouth College issued a statement, saying, “We are carefully considering this petition with the aim of responding promptly yet thoughtfully in accordance with Dartmouth’s educational mission and priorities.”The Ivy League said it did not have a comment at this time.Dartmouth students who work for dining services are in a union.
The Dartmouth College men’s basketball team is trying to become the first college sports team to successfully form a union.
There have been other sports teams that have tried to do what the Big Green is doing, and legal experts said other colleges should get ready for more of such efforts.
“Colleges should really be prepared or getting ready for a world where their athletes have a legal right to employment,” said University of New Hampshire School of Law professor Mike McCann.
McCann said the Dartmouth team faces the same challenge other teams have faced in their unionization attempts.
“It really depends on whether or not they can make the case that they ought to be recognized as employees,” he said.
The 15 players filed a petition Wednesday with the National Labor Relations Board as a part of the Local 560 chapter of the Service Employees International Union, excluding managers and supervisors.
“This will take a while to play out,” McCann said. “It’s certainly not going to be resolved any time soon.”
The NLRB applies to most private sector employers, including private universities. All eight Ivy League schools are private and do not offer scholarships, only financial aid.
Dartmouth College issued a statement, saying, “We are carefully considering this petition with the aim of responding promptly yet thoughtfully in accordance with Dartmouth’s educational mission and priorities.”
The Ivy League said it did not have a comment at this time.
Dartmouth students who work for dining services are in a union.
