The Dartmouth College men’s basketball team has announced it will withdraw its unionization efforts, just a few months after the players celebrated a successful vote in favor of such action.
This decision comes at a time when there are strong indications that Republicans will soon assume control of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), a shift that could reshape policies regarding student-athlete unionization.
Background on Unionization Efforts
Earlier, a regional office of the NLRB ruled that student-athletes should be classified as employees, which would grant them the right to unionize.
However, Dartmouth challenged this ruling and chose to postpone negotiations with the team until the full five-member NLRB could make a conclusive decision.
With two of the board’s seats currently vacant, it’s possible that incoming President Donald Trump could influence the board’s makeup.
In light of these uncertainties, the Service Employees International Union, Local 560, which represents the basketball players, decided to retract the petition for unionization to avoid any potential negative outcomes.
Impact of the Decision
Local 560’s president commented that the decision to withdraw aims to uphold the significant groundwork laid by the basketball team.
Their successful election, which ended with a 13-2 vote, marked them as the first officially recognized bargaining unit for student-athletes in the United States, pushing forward critical conversations about employment rights and collective bargaining in college sports.
Future Implications
The unionization efforts by the Dartmouth basketball team held the potential to transform the collegiate sports arena, potentially compelling the NCAA to clarify the employment status of student-athletes and their rights to collective bargaining.
While the NCAA has been lobbying Congress to pass legislation that would categorize college athletes as non-employees, support for this request is likely to increase with the new Congress on the horizon.
Source: Insidehighered