Dartmouth men’s basketball players paid in free gear, food, services, union claims

Dartmouth men’s basketball union overview: 

• Who: Representatives for the Dartmouth men’s basketball players are asking the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) to allow them to unionize. 
• Why: The players’ union representatives argued they receive equipment, gear, food and services as pay and are therefore employees, according to Law360.
• Where: The Dartmouth union case is in front of the NLRB’s Region 1 Boston office.

Union representatives for the Dartmouth men’s basketball players argue that players receive free equipment, gear, travel, food and services and are therefore employees of the school and allowed to unionize, according to Law360.

The arguments came in front of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) Boston office, where the Service Employees International Union is arguing that the Dartmouth men’s basketball team should be allowed to have a union election and become the first college sports team to unionize, the website said.

The players “receive consideration, valuable consideration, which includes but is not limited to room and board for part of the year, valuable equipment and apparel, tickets to games, footwear, access to services, athletic wear, equipment, meals, travel, loading and other consideration,” according to Local 560 attorney John Krupski, Law360 reported.

The NLRB’s Jennifer Abruzzo, general counsel, has argued that players may be employees in certain circumstances but hasn’t offered an opinion in this case, Law360 reported.

Gear, food and tickets are not counted as compensation under federal employment law, Dartmouth attorney argued

Dartmouth, meanwhile, argued that the players are not employees and are unpaid members of a program that loses money, according to The Associated Press.

The gear, tickets, nutritionist and other benefits that athletes receive don’t count as compensation under federal employment law, the school’s attorney argued according to Sportico.

Dartmouth representatives also said that the players’ schedules are setup so that they are students first, with a class attendance requirement, before they are allowed to be athletes, Sportico reported.

Dartmouth’s case included Executive Associate Athletics Director Taurian Houston testifying that Dartmouth men’s basketball players don’t receive special housing, employment verification, compensation, special housing or paid time off, Sportico said.

Earlier this year, a proposed class of student-athletes fought the dismissal of a class action lawsuit targeting the Ivy League and its member universities with the athletes saying they adequately alleged the athletic conference overcharged and undercompensated them by refusing to offer athletic scholarships.  

Do you think that Ivy League basketball players are employees? Let us know in the comments.

Read About More Class Action Lawsuits & Class Action Settlements:

• Judge dismisses class action claiming NFL shares newsletter subscribers’ info with Facebook
• Ex-NFL players’ lawsuit claims disability benefit plans use race-norming
• Michigan State terminates head football coach following sexual misconduct allegations
• San Diego State Title IX lawsuit to proceed with some caveats