Press Releases

The House Education and the Workforce Committee, chaired by Rep. John Kline (R-MN), will hold a hearing to examine a recent decision by the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) that classifies certain student athletes as “employees” for the purposes of collective bargaining. The hearing, entitled "Big Labor on College Campuses: Examining the Consequences of Unionizing Student Athletes," will take place on Thursday, May 8 at 10:00 a.m. in room 2175 Rayburn House Office Building.

“The NLRB’s decision represents a radical departure from longstanding federal labor policies,” said Chairman Kline. “Classifying student athletes as employees threatens to fundamentally alter college sports, as well as reduce education access and opportunity. The committee has a responsibility to thoroughly examine how the NLRB’s decision will affect students and their ability to receive a quality education.”

BACKGROUND: On March 26, in Northwestern University, the NLRB Regional Director for Region 13 found “grant-in-aid scholarship players for [Northwestern University’s] football team who have not exhausted their play eligibility are ‘employees’ under [the National Labor Relations Act].” The Regional Director ordered a representational election to determine whether a majority of the scholarship athletes support the College Athletes Players Association (CAPA), a new union formed with the support of and funding from the United Steelworkers. On April 25, the student athletes at Northwestern University voted in the representational election; however, the ballots have been impounded pending appeal to the full board.

To learn more about the hearing, visit www.republicans-edlabor.house.gov/hearings.  

 

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WITNESS LIST

The Honorable Ken Starr
President and Chancellor
Baylor University
Waco, TX

Mr. Bradford L. Livingston
Partner
Seyfarth Shaw LLP
Chicago, IL

Mr. Andy Schwarz
Partner
OSKR, LLC
Emeryville, CA

Mr. Bernard M. Muir
Director of Athletics
Stanford University
Stanford, CA

Mr. Patrick C. Eilers
Managing Director
Madison Dearborn Partners
Chicago, IL