03-27-2024
Dartmouth will not bargain with the union formed by its men’s basketball team players. In February, a National Labor Relations Board regional director ruled Dartmouth's male basketball players could be considered their employees. In the decision, the director concluded the athletes are employees because Dartmouth "has the right to control the work performed by the Dartmouth men's basketball team, and the players perform that work in exchange for compensation." The compensation includes "room and board for part of the year, equipment, apparel, tickets to both home and road games, footwear, access to nutrition and medical professionals, exclusive use of certain facilities, and academic support."
The athletes held a union election following the decision, voting 13-2 to form a union. The fifteen athletes filed a petition to join the local Service Employees International Union chapter. As union members, the players could negotiate salary and working conditions, such as practice hours and travel.
At the time of the union formation, Dartmouth said the costs of its athletic program far exceed any revenue from the program, "costs that Dartmouth bears as part of [its] participation in the Ivy League." The institution does not provide any athletic scholarships. Dartmouth has requested a review of the NLRB's decision by the full board, asserting the regional director "made an extraordinary mistake." Should the full NLRB refuse to overturn the decision, Dartmouth wants the matter heard by a federal court.