Tomorrow, the Northwestern University grant-in-aid scholarship football players will be voting on their right to unionize under the National Labor Relations Act. Risa Lieberwitz, professor of labor and employment law at Cornell University’s ILR School, says tomorrow’s vote could have an inspirational effect on college athletes across the nation.
Lieberwitz says:
“Regardless of the outcome of the election, the Northwestern players have made history with their unionization campaign. They successfully brought public attention to their working conditions – especially their health and safety concerns. This may inspire other college athletes to act collectively to negotiate for better working conditions.
“Even if the players association wins the election, it could be a long time before collective bargaining takes place. If Northwestern University refuses to bargain with the union, this would become an unfair labor practice case that could eventually be heard by the NLRB in Washington, D.C.”
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