By Mark Foley
National Labor Relations Board Regional Director Peter Sung Ohr ruled March 26 in Chicago that football players at Northwestern University are employees of the university and can form a union.
The players petitioned the NLRB as a way to get an opportunity to speak out and change the ways of the NCAA.
School officials fought against the athletes, saying that they are students, not employees. However, Ohr looked at the situation and decided that there was enough evidence to say that these students were employees of the university. (Northwestern is a private university. Public schools such as Eastern New Mexico University are exempt from the NLRB’s jurisdiction.)
The decision was based on the money athletes receive from scholarships, and the hours they are required to practice and work out throughout the week.
The athletes said that they want to form a union so they can seek better medical coverage, concussion testing, and four-year scholarships. Eventually, they want to explore the possibility of being paid.
I think that this action of the students is really good. The student-athletes at big universities bring in a lot of revenue for the school, and they deserve to have a voice. They definitely should be receiving great medical attention.
Scholarships are hard to come by, and every dollar helps. Having more scholarships could expand higher-education opportunities by allowing more students to attend top universities.
I do believe that NCAA athletes eventually will receive payment. I don’t believe that it will be right away, but it could happen soon enough. It will be interesting to see what changes come now after the athletes of Northwestern won a big ruling.
To me, the medical coverage and concussion testing are the two most important topics. Injuries happen in sports, and the athletes deserve to have good treatment and a good health center.
As everyone knows, there are many times when it seems as if everyone at Eastern New Mexico University is sick. Getting examined and prescribed medicine is very helpful and important.
I also agree with the argument of more four-year scholarships. The NCAA limits the number of four-year scholarships each university can issue. I support any opportunity or idea to help more student-athletes afford school.
However, I do not agree that student-athletes should get paid. If the NCAA began paying athletes, I truly believe it would change college sports for the fans. Many people love watching student-athletes who are playing the sport they love for no paycheck.
It will be interesting to see what will happen as the Northwestern case moves forward.