College athletes take step toward forming labor union
 

Calling the NCAA a dictatorship, Northwestern's quarterback and the United Steelworkers announced plans Tuesday to form the first labor union for college athletes -- the latest salvo in the bruising fight over whether amateur players should be paid.
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Quarterback Kain Colter detailed the College Athletes Players Association at a news conference in Chicago, flanked by leaders of Steelworkers union that has agreed to pay legal bills for the effort. The NCAA and the Big Ten Conference both criticized the move and insisted that college athletes cannot be considered employees.

Colter said the NCAA dictates terms to its hundreds of member schools and tens of thousands of college athletes, leaving players with little or no say about financial compensation questions or how to improve their own safety. That college football generates hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue only bolstered the argument for a union, he said.

"How can they call this amateur athletics when our jerseys are sold in stores and the money we generate turns coaches and commissioners into multimillionaires?" Colter asked.

"The current model represents a dictatorship," added Colter, who just finished his senior year with the Wildcats. "We just want a seat at the table."

Colter said "nearly 100 percent" of his teammates backed the drive to unionize. But only he spoke publicly, saying the others wanted to keep a low profile.

CAPA's president, former UCLA football player Ramogi Huma, said a union would help ensure that scholarships, at minimum, cover all living expenses as well as tuition. Currently, he said, scholarship athletes come up thousands of dollars short each year. A union would also push for full medical coverage that could carry over past college.

While the effort to form a union among college athletes appears without precedent, there is a recent case that may help their cause. More than 600 graduate teaching and research assistants at New York University voted to form a union in December and to affiliate with the United Auto Workers. It was the first such union in the country to win recognition by a private university.

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Re: College athletes take step toward forming labor union
 

If they wanna get paid then they should! Quit giving college athletes full ride scholarships! Last time I checked, it's pretty dang expensive to get a college education! So if they get their cut then they can use that to pay their own ride through college. Being a college athlete is tough with school and a full time job of being an athlete, however don't forget what your getting paid for. A future after football for those who never quite made it.

Re: College athletes take step toward forming labor union
 

This is your pay, a full ride scholarship. Use it so when you don't make the NFL. you can get a job. Your there to learn.

Re: College athletes take step toward forming labor union
 

Does that mean that full scholarship rides become taxable if this were to go through?

Re: College athletes take step toward forming labor union
 

I hate unions

Re: College athletes take step toward forming labor union
 

Come work where i work, and you'll change that tune.

Re: College athletes take step toward forming labor union
 

Sorry, let me re-clarify..

I hate greedy unions that acquire way too much power.

I broad brushed them all into my original statement. That was wrong. They're not ALL bad, but IMO most are.

Re: College athletes take step toward forming labor union
 

They better be careful what they ask for. They may be opening a can of worms that's better left closed.

Not to mention what this will do to ticket prices for games.

Re: College athletes take step toward forming labor union
 

The only thing I would give the players is a bursary to live on each month.Not a big amount but enough to cover food and some bills.It would stop the issues of coaches lending players money.If they want this though I would make the scholarship repayable to any player playing over x amount of years.The repaid scholarship money would cover the costs of bursary payments.

Re: College athletes take step toward forming labor union
 

I'd try to incorporate practices into some form of "work study". Minimum wage and to go along with their scholarships, it's should be more than enough.

Re: College athletes take step toward forming labor union
 

These kids better know; not think they know; but know, what they are about to get into.

I will take the side of the schools in this debate. These guys are given full scholarships. (Not all but your guys that become stars, do.) Look at Texas A&M. Without Johnny Football, A&M is now in a mess. These guys who play two years and then jet off to the NFL leave their respective schools in a bid and hurting for players and the schools are just suppose to "eat" the lost money and future revenue.

Football, feeds all of the other athletic programs the schools have. Yes, the BAMA's, LSU's, and who-have-you's make a lot of money on football. But that money goes on to supprt other programs for the University. Not just athletics.

These kids need to really think about what they THINK they want and make sure it's not just for the minority "Super Stars" benifit.

Re: College athletes take step toward forming labor union
 

If it is to get the full cost of school paid and to get the scholarships guaranteed for the full duration to get ones degree I could support their struggle. But not if its just kids looking for a payday.

Re: College athletes take step toward forming labor union
 

I wouldn't lose any sleep at all if they eliminated athletic scholarships altogether.

Re: College athletes take step toward forming labor union
 

You'll be long into the deep sleep long before that or college athlete unionization happens

These kids already get 'paid': tuition, dorms, team meals, tutors. The proposed union makes it sound like slave labor

Re: College athletes take step toward forming labor union
 

This begs a ton of concerns and wreaks of probable corruption.

1. Unions require dues and funding. If College athletes are so broke how will they afford dues?

2. United Steel Union is backing and pushing this. Why? What is their payoff? What are the implications and debt owed if these players go pro?

3. Where is the financing for this? Private colleges will not be able to handle the burden and public colleges will have to use tax payer funding.

4. "If" athletes are allowed to unionize to increase and gain compensation then wouldn't any other group of scholarship receiving students be able to do the same?

5. Universities have x amount of dollars for scholarships, increase the compensations and Universities will be forced to reduce the number of scholarships they grant.

Playing sports and attending college is rough? So difficult in fact that there needs to be increased compensation and a Union? Tell that to the single mother working 3 jobs and going to school to better herself.

In the interest of education, create the union but the only student athletes allowed to be members are those with a 3.5 GPA or higher and they must be starters.. :dunce:

Re: College athletes take step toward forming labor union
 

I agree with everyone.

These guys get:
scholarships ,
medical needs met,
room and board,
tuturoring,
meals,
travel,
meeting people (broadcasters,politicans, etc.),
books,
classes worked around the game /season schedule meaning, if a class is full and they need it , they get.
YES, some get full and some get partial scholarships depending on their athletic talents.

I agree with lee909. A monthly monetary stipend would be ok and end any businesses/ Alumni boosters etc. in gpoing against NCAA rules about giving things like cars and spending/pocket change money to the athletes.

These rest of what this union stituation is ridiculous.
Medical care beyond college?

Which athletic department is this union sipposed to be for? Football? Basketball? Baseball?
These are your top money college sports.
Well, about the others? Tennis. Swimming.


I really think this union subject and paying college athletes debate will harm more of them than help the most of the them. In their personal lives, this would not be good.

Re: College athletes take step toward forming labor union
 

I agree. We need protection from are mangers. Who think they can treat you like crap, and get away with it.