Dartmouth college basketball team seeks to unionize

According to the National Labor Relations Board filing, the players have filed to join the Service Employees International Union, Local 560. The requirement for the petition to be submitted maintains that at least five out of the fifteen players, or at least 30 percent of the bargaining unit, must sign on to the petition, Insider reports.

Team managers and supervisors are banned from being included in the bargaining unit; however, it is unclear if team coaches would also be eligible for union representation.

Jana Barnello, Dartmouth College's media relations strategist, said in a statement that Dartmouth College is planning to respond to the petition "promptly yet thoughtfully in accordance with Dartmouth's educational mission and priorities."

Due to stringent regulations, college student-athletes were not allowed to make money for themselves despite its sports programs bringing in extremely profitable revenue for many colleges. This changed in 2021 when the NCAA agreed to allow college athletes to earn money from their notoriety.

The Division I football team from Northwestern University made an unsuccessful attempt to unionize in 2014 before the NCAA changed its rules. The National Labor Relations Board declared the team was not eligible to unionize in 2015, stating that the unusual request "would not serve to promote stability in labor relations."

However, this ruling could be overturned when a judge makes a decision on the National Labor Relations Board's complaint against the University of Southern California, the Pac-12 divisional conference, and the NCAA. According to the Board, by failing to treat student-athletes as university employees, these organizations deprived them of their ability to form a union.

The case will be heard in November, according to Insider.