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Northwestern Football Forms Union

by craigslist
17 replies
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Northwestern Football Forms Union-so what happens now? Will they get health benefits-get paid? This is unusual, whats your opinion.
#northwestern football #union
  • Profile picture of the author TLTheLiberator
    Originally Posted by craigslist View Post

    Northwestern Football Forms Union-so what happens now? Will they get health benefits-get paid? This is unusual, whats your opinion.
    I'm not sure but it is a very interesting development.
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  • Profile picture of the author seasoned
    Kind of hypocritical. If I were the college, I would probably at least turn off the spigot, post a list of those that choose to do this and say OK, good luck.

    I mean they are lucky enough to get a scholarship, and then say OK, that is for football, so you owe us MORE? Don't most of the professional players get picked from the colleges?

    I see this the same way as that 18yo that figures her parents owe her EVERYTHING!

    OK, let's take this to the next logical position! Let's say football players, on an unrelated(I don't care if it was because they could play football, etc... It obviously wasn't to play football from what they are saying) circumstance get a scholarship, and could thus be in a union... OK, then a person working at a hospital as an intern should ALSO be able to be unionized. They should ALSO be able to get paid, etc.... If THAT is the case, let's do it with NURSES also!

    ********OOOPS******** The dream of having better healthcare and/or lower costs is DASHED! You will have to pay MORE for care that is likely INFERIOR! Don't we have enough trouble.

    Steve
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    • Profile picture of the author thir25
      I don't believe that Northwestern has formed any union yet.
      The Labor Relations Board has agreeded with Northwestern that they could go ahead and form a union if they want.

      What I want to know is this. Since they will be considered employees,
      I wonder how they are going to feel when they have to pay taxes on
      that big time college scholarship money?
      Wouldn't the scholarship money be considered wages?

      Just Thinking,
      Tim
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      • Profile picture of the author TimPhelan
        Originally Posted by thir25 View Post

        What I want to know is this. Since they will be considered employees,
        I wonder how they are going to feel when they have to pay taxes on
        that big time college scholarship money?
        Wouldn't the scholarship money be considered wages?

        Just Thinking,
        Tim
        That is a possibility apparently but I doubt that would happen. If the irs taxed football scholarships then they would have to tax all scholarships and that seems unlikely.

        The difference between a football scholarship and an academic scholarship is that the athlete has additional requierments such as where they live, how they dress, a minimal grade point average etc... and the fact that the college profits from the work they do. College football is a multi billion dollar business now days. There are dozens of college coaches who make at least $2 million a year. The Texas longhorns football program's income is over $100 million a year!

        The interesting thing is that only the players with scholarships will be able to vote on unionizing. I would expect that if they eventually do unionize that all players will eventually be able to be part of the union whether they have scholarships or not.
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        • Profile picture of the author seasoned
          Originally Posted by TimPhelan View Post

          That is a possibility apparently but I dought that would happen. If the irs taxed football scholarships then they would have to tax all scholarships and that seems unlikely.

          The difference between a football scholarship and an academic scholarship is that the athlete has additional requierments such as where they live, how they dress, a minimal grade point average etc... and the fact that the college profits from the work they do. College football is a multi billion dollar business now days. There are dozens of college coaches who make at least $2 million a year. The Texas longhorns football program's income is over $100 million a year!

          The interesting thing is that only the players with scholarships will be able to vote on unionizing. I would expect that if they eventually do unionize that all players will eventually be able to be part of the union whether they have scholarships or not.
          I would love to hear their reasoning that it is a wage, but not a wage!

          All people HAVE to be a union. THAT is the point. If they aren't, the colleges can simply have those with no unions play. But it is unfair and improper to have only those with scholarships vote. Suppose there are 20 players, and only 3 have a scholarship. They can now unionize with less than 20% of the players voting for it!!!!

          Steve
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          • Profile picture of the author TimPhelan
            Originally Posted by seasoned View Post

            I would love to hear their reasoning that it is a wage, but not a wage!
            I think it would go something like this: "It's non-taxable income."

            Actually it's already in the irs tax code as such.
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            • Profile picture of the author seasoned
              Originally Posted by TimPhelan View Post

              I think it would go something like this: "It's non-taxable income."

              Actually it's already in the irs tax code as such.
              Well, taxable/non taxable, there ARE a lot of things that come into play none the less.

              Steve
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              • Profile picture of the author ThomM
                I'm wondering if by unionizing that won't change the players football scholarships from a scholarship to a salary.
                Will they have to pay union dues?
                If you're a union member you can't work non-union jobs.
                If the rest of the conference doesn't unionize can the union players play in a non-union conference?
                It will be interesting to see how it plays out.
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        • Profile picture of the author Joe Mobley
          Originally Posted by thir25 View Post

          The Labor Relations Board has agreeded...
          Let's see... a pro-union government agency has made a pro-union decision.

          I'm overcome with not-surprise.

          Originally Posted by TimPhelan View Post

          I would expect that if they eventually do unionize that all players will eventually be able to be part of the union whether they have scholarships or not.
          I would expect that this will wind up in the courts.

          Also, as prognosticator of the merely obvious, I believe that this is the beginning of a huge change in college sports.


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  • Profile picture of the author Dan Riffle
    My initial thought is this is horrible for collegiate sports. It will kill off most sports, specifically those that operate at a loss.
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  • Profile picture of the author Floyd Fisher
    They are no longer amateurs, and thus should not be allowed to play NCAA football anymore.

    Let them schedule games against NFL teams.
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  • Profile picture of the author Kurt
    With a little creative thinking, there's a number of things that can be done to help the kids without the colleges having to pay. Although I feel the two division one sports that make billions (basketball and football) should pay their student/athletes.

    I suggest D1 schools pay $10-20 a week x GPA. This would give the kids a little spending money and some motivation to keep their grades up.

    There's ways to give the athletes some perks, like letting them sell jerseys, pins, tickets, or let boosters give them jobs watching the grass grow like they used to. The NCAA is way too strick on what it allows kids to do to make a buck, while it sits back and rakes in billions from their efforts.
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    • Profile picture of the author Floyd Fisher
      Originally Posted by Kurt View Post

      With a little creative thinking, there's a number of things that can be done to help the kids without the colleges having to pay. Although I feel the two division one sports that make billions (basketball and football) should pay their student/athletes.

      I suggest D1 schools pay $10-20 a week x GPA. This would give the kids a little spending money and some motivation to keep their grades up.

      There's ways to give the athletes some perks, like letting them sell jerseys, pins, tickets, or let boosters give them jobs watching the grass grow like they used to. The NCAA is way too strick on what it allows kids to do to make a buck, while it sits back and rakes in billions from their efforts.
      The NCAA had to do that because of SCOTUS rulings, if my memory is correct on this stuff. Student athletes cannot have any perk not given to scholarships at large, or something to that extent.

      If they want to form a union, go right ahead...just realize you now forfeited your amateur status by doing so...good luck.
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      • Profile picture of the author Kurt
        Originally Posted by Floyd Fisher View Post

        The NCAA had to do that because of SCOTUS rulings, if my memory is correct on this stuff. Student athletes cannot have any perk not given to scholarships at large, or something to that extent.
        I don't think your memory is correct. And even if it is, change the rules so athletes can make a buck. I'm not sure why allowing an athlete to sell a championship pin or get a meaningless job is any business of the SCOTUS anyway.

        If they want to form a union, go right ahead...just realize you now forfeited your amateur status by doing so...good luck.
        Oh no! Not my amateur status! How will I ever get by without my amateur status?

        The only reason an athlete needs "amateur status" is because of the NCAA. The problem isn't with student/athletes. It's with the NCAA. Change the NCAA.
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  • Profile picture of the author TLTheLiberator
    At the very least give the student athletes a couple extra years to graduate even if their playing days are over.
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    • Profile picture of the author Kay King
      At the very least give the student athletes a couple extra years to graduate even if their playing days are over.
      I don't understand that at all. Make college football a sport that leads to retirement? Guess then they'll want pension plans?

      Years ago, Ivy League schools often dominated sports but as football in particular became more popular commercially ...those high end schools chose to limit the number of games played and put academics ahead of sports.
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      • Profile picture of the author TLTheLiberator
        Originally Posted by Kay King View Post

        I don't understand that at all. Make college football a sport that leads to retirement? Guess then they'll want pension plans?

        Years ago, Ivy League schools often dominated sports but as football in particular became more popular commercially ...those high end schools chose to limit the number of games played and put academics ahead of sports.
        I don't understand what you're talking about.

        All I said was why not give the student athlete a couple extra years to graduate with a degree?

        This is exactly what I said...

        At the very least give the student athletes a couple extra years to graduate even if their playing days are over.


        Where is the stuff about retirement plans coming from?
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