AP: Unions for college athletes a question for NLRB

[Omaha Steve]

http://apnews.excite.com/article/20140329/DACR7OJ80.html

By TOM RAUM

WASHINGTON (AP) - The five-member regulatory board that will ultimately decide if Northwestern University football players can unionize has itself been in the middle of a firestorm.

The very makeup of the National Labor Relations Board has been challenged in a case now before the Supreme Court. And Republicans contend the agency has being overly friendly to organized labor.


In this Sept. 21, 2013, file photo, Northwestern quarterback Kain Colter (2), wears APU for "All Players United" on wrist tape as he scores a touchdown during an NCAA college football game against Maine in Evanston, Ill. The five-member regulatory board that will ultimately decide if Northwestern University football players can unionize has itself been in the middle of a firestorm. The very makeup of the National Labor Relations Board has been challenged in a case now before the Supreme Court. And Republicans contend the agency has being overly friendly to organized labor. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh, File)


Northwestern said Friday that it would appeal to the full NLRB a regional director's ruling that full scholarship players can be considered employees and thus have the right to form a union.

"Unionization and collective bargaining are not the appropriate methods to address the concerns these students are raising," Alan K. Cubbage, vice president for university relations, said in a statement. "The life of a student athlete is extremely demanding, but the academic side and the athletic side are inextricably linked."

FULL story at link.

[mountain grammy]

1. The NLRB being "overly friendly to organized labor"???

now that's a first! I'd settle for simply "not hostile to organized labor."

Do they know "labor" is in the title?