Dartmouth Basketball Players Deemed School Employees By Labor Board

A ruling by a National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) regional official has declared Dartmouth basketball players as employees of the school, paving the way for potential unionization efforts, as reported by Jimmy Golen and Ralph D. Russo for the Associated Press (AP).

Dartmouth basketball player representatives welcomed the decision, viewing it as a significant advancement for college athletes. I Photo: Dartmouth College

The decision follows a petition signed by all 15 members of Dartmouth's men's basketball team seeking to join the Service Employees International Union (Local 560). Unionization would grant players the ability to negotiate not only salaries but also working conditions such as practice hours and travel arrangements.

Regional Director Laura Sacks cited Dartmouth's control over the basketball team's work and the players' compensation as factors in the ruling, stating that the players are employees under the National Labor Relations Act.

Dartmouth basketball player representatives welcomed the decision, viewing it as a significant advancement for college athletes. They also announced plans to establish the Ivy League Players Association for basketball players across the league.

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