HANOVER, N.H. (WCAX) – Dartmouth College basketball players voted on Tuesday to form the nation’s first-ever college athletes’ labor union. The count was 13-2.
Players say it would give them more of a say on practice hours and potential wages.
The National Labor Relations Board last month approved a petition from the athletes to go forward with the vote to unionize.
Dartmouth is against the move, saying the athletes are students, not employees, and has said it plans to appeal the ruling from the NLRB. Monday, the school was denied a motion to reopen the case.
Even though the athletes voted in favor of a union, the school can still appeal to the full NLRB and then to federal courts, which means it could be years before the players can negotiate a collective bargaining agreement with the school.
Related Stories:
NLRB official denies Dartmouth request to reopen basketball union case. Players to vote Tuesday
Hassan won’t take sides in Dartmouth basketball unionization dispute
NLRB gives Dartmouth trustees more time to appeal as athletes prepare for union vote
First basketball, next hockey? Dartmouth campus weighs NLRB unionization ruling
National Labor Relations Board decides Dartmouth basketball players are university employees
Dartmouth tells NLRB that basketball players are students – for real – not employees
Dartmouth men’s basketball team files petition to unionize