Northwestern football players lose bid to start union - Aug. 17, 2015

In a victory for the NCAA, a federal labor board blocked an effort by members of the Northwestern University football players to form the first union for college athletes.



The National Labor Relations Board declined to rule on whether the athletes should be considered employees of the school who have a right to unionize. It cites the fact that labor law only allows the NLRB to look at private-sector work places, but that most college football programs are at state schools. Of the 125 schools eligible to play in a college football bowl, only 17 are private schools like Northwestern.



Northwestern football players lose bid to start union - Aug. 17, 2015