Dartmouth University Basketball Players Vote to Unionize, Making History in College Sports

In a historic move, the men's basketball team at Dartmouth University has voted in favor of joining the Service Employees International Union Local 560. The vote, which took place on Tuesday, resulted in a 13-2 majority in favor of unionizing. This marks a significant step towards the formation of the first union in college sports and could have far-reaching implications for amateur athletes across the country.

Empowering Players

Unionizing will empower the players to negotiate various aspects of their participation, including salaries and working conditions such as practice hours and travel. This decision has been celebrated by players Cade Haskins and Romeo Myrthil, who expressed their satisfaction with the outcome. They emphasized the unity and determination of the team, stating, "Today is a big day for our team. We stuck together all season and won this election. It is self-evident that we, as students, can also be both campus workers and union members. Dartmouth seems to be stuck in the past. It's time for the age of amateurism to end."

Legal Proceedings and College Response

Following the vote, Dartmouth administrators have a specified period to file any objection, with five days to raise concerns and ten days to file an appeal, according to the National Labor Relations Board. If no challenge is presented, the college will be obligated to engage in good faith negotiations over a labor contract with the players.

Dartmouth University, based in Hanover, New Hampshire, had previously contested the union drive, asserting that basketball players at the institution should not be classified as employees. The college emphasized the primary focus on academics for Ivy League student-athletes and stated, "Classifying these students as employees simply because they play basketball is as unprecedented as it is inaccurate. We, therefore, do not believe unionization is appropriate."

Future Developments

This is an evolving story, and updates are expected shortly as the situation unfolds. The decision by the Dartmouth University basketball team to unionize could have a lasting impact on the landscape of college sports and the treatment of amateur athletes across the nation.

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