Dartmouth College Seeks to Delay Union Vote for Men's Basketball Team

The Ivy League institution argues that the election should be postponed due to ongoing litigation, questioning the employment status of student-athletes.

• Dartmouth College has requested the National Labor Relations Board to suspend an upcoming union election for its men's basketball team, citing pending litigation over whether players are considered employees.
• The school's request follows a ruling by NLRB regional director Laura Sacks, who found the basketball players to be employees eligible to unionize, a decision Dartmouth is challenging.
• Dartmouth argues that the players, like other students engaged in extracurricular activities, are not its employees but partake in sports to further their educational aims.
• If formed, the basketball players' union would be the first of its kind for U.S. student-athletes, following a precedent set by a 2015 union election attempt by Northwestern University football players.
• The school also raised concerns about the transient nature of the team, noting that many players will graduate soon, and questioned the implications of unionization for international players on visas.

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