Ever since that Chicago judge ruled last week that Northwestern football players were allowed to form a union, the reaction has been pretty universal. There isn't a single person out there who thinks this is a good idea. And it kind of makes me wonder why the judge let it move forward in the first place, especially since it's almost certainly going to get tossed on appeal.
Northwestern has already filed the appeal, and the players are set to vote by April 25. One player who'll be voting "No" is starting quarterback Trevor Siemian. That's pretty telling. It's an obvious sign that the players are far from unanimous in their feelings. Siemian's interview was pretty telling in a number of respects. He acknowledged that college football players actually have it pretty good and that whatever concerns the players had should've been brought to the head coach and athletic director first.
Not surprisingly, the NCAA is vehemently opposed to this. NCAA President Mark Emmert said during his Final Four press conference that this would "blow up everything about the collegiate model of athletics." He even called the idea "ridiculous" and "grossly inappropriate." And, you know what, he isn't wrong. The NCAA has problems. Emmert is the first to admit that. But this definitely isn't the answer.
There are so many reasons why this is a bad idea, and I've thought this ever since the players first announced their intention to unionize. For starters, it would only apply to private universities like Northwestern. So, football players at Ohio State and Texas and Florida State and all the other state-funded universities can't do the same. If unions are supposed to look out for the rights of everyone, how is that fair?
Likewise, who's covering things like insurance, union dues, etc.? I bet these players only saw the benefit of union backing without taking those costs into account. And why would they? That's a bigger picture item. No one ever looks at the big picture when it comes to these things. Once that reality hits, I'm sure the Northwestern players will be singing a different tune.
But here's the biggest reason why I think the Northwestern football team shouldn't be allowed to unionize. And it's perhaps the most obvious reason out there. They aren't employees! I know what the ruling said. I don't buy it. Do they draw a salary from the university? No. And if you don't draw a salary, you're not an employee. It's my understanding that labor unions represent employees. Well, if you're not an employee, how can you be represented by a labor union?
The players, as well as the judge who ruled in their favor, would argue that the players are employees. Well, I define being an employee as getting a salary. A scholarship is not a salary. And that scholarship, by the way, provides them with the opportunity to attend one of America's most prestigious academic institutions for free for four years. In return, the football players agree to represent that university on the field, which also means putting in the required time that being on said team entails. That's an agreement thousands of college athletes voluntarily make every year, without expecting anything else in return. Yet it's not enough for the Northwestern football team. Or, let me rephrase, certain members of the Northwestern football team.
I'm not anti-union. Unions aren't a bad thing. But they can be if they aren't used right. And that's what we're seeing here. This is an attempt to get attention. Congratulations. It worked. Letting this vote go through and actually letting the players unionize, though. That would be a tremendous mistake.
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