The National Labor Relations Board reversed a regional director's decision that Northwestern's players have the right to unionize.
The national division of the National Labor Relations Board denied the College Athletes Player Association from legally organizing as a union. The board overruled a landmark precedent in a local-level decision affirming that scholarship football players are employees of their university and have the right to unionize. The board unanimously dismissed the petition Monday.
This historic test case centered on Northwestern University's football program after former quarterback Kain Colter and the Northwestern football team petitioned to unionize in January of 2014.