NLRB Declines Jurisdiction in Northwestern University's Union Effort

By Michael Cork, Esq.

book michael cork

more michael cork writing

Today, the National Labor Relations Board unanimously voted not to exercise jurisdiction over the effort by Northwestern University football players who receive grant-in-aid scholarships to form a union.  The Board is comprised of three Democrats and two Republicans.  All five members decided that asserting jurisdiction would disrupt labor stability, since the Board lacks jurisdiction over public colleges and universities.  Northwestern is the only private school in the Big Ten conference.  The Board did not decide the issue of whether such scholarship athletes are employees under the National Labor Relations Act.