An upstart labor organization, the International Brotherhood of Professional Running Backs (IBPRB), has filed a petition with Region 13, the Chicago office of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), seeking to form a separate union for the National Football League’s running backs. The unit clarification petition, NLRB Case No. 13-UC-246227, seeks to sever and create
Howard M. Bloom
Can NFL Players be Fired, Disciplined for Protesting During National Anthem?
President Donald Trump has suggested that the National Football League’s television ratings decline was caused by “fans seeing those people (players) taking the knee when they’re playing our great national anthem.” Trump has urged fans to “leave the stadium” when players kneel during the national anthem and suggested that NFL team owners fire players who…
Update: Minnesota Football Team Ends Bowl Boycott
The University of Minnesota football team ended their boycott of the Holiday Bowl after attempting to overturn the suspension of 10 players for alleged acts of sexual assault and agreed to participate in the upcoming December 27th game against Washington State University.
After lengthy meetings with University President Eric Kaler and Athletic Director Mark…
Players To Boycott Football Activities, Bowl Game, Over Suspensions Of Teammates
University of Minnesota football players announced on December 15 that they are boycotting all football activities, including their December 27 Holiday Bowl game against the Washington State Cougars, to protest the University’s decision to suspend 10 teammates over a sexual assault allegation, according to the Minnesota Star Tribune. The University adopted an affirmative sexual…
…And The Judge Taketh Away: Minor League Baseball Players Strike Out In Bid To Have FLSA, State Wage Claims Against MLB Certified As Collective And Class Actions
A federal Magistrate judge in San Francisco has sided with Major League Baseball against former minor league players in an effort to have their lawsuit claiming minimum wage and overtime violations under the Fair Labor Standards Act certified as a collective action and their state wage and hour claims certified as a class action.
Chief…
NLRB Declines to Exercise Jurisdiction Over Student-Athletes’ Attempt to Unionize – For Now
Concluding that its assertion of jurisdiction “would not serve to promote stability in labor relations,” the National Labor Relations Board has declined to exercise authority over the College Athletes Players Association’s (CAPA’s) petition to represent scholarship football players at Northwestern University. Northwestern University, 362 NLRB No. 167 (Aug. 17, 2015). Without deciding if the…
NLRB Declines Jurisdiction In Northwestern Case
The National Labor Relations Board has declined to assert jurisdiction in the case involving Northwestern University football players who receive grant-in-aid scholarships. As a result, the Board did not determine if the players were employees under the National Labor Relations Act. Instead, the Board exercised its discretion not to assert jurisdiction and dismissed the representation …
UPDATE-Michigan Excludes Student-Athletes from Unions
Michigan has become the first state to exclude intercollegiate student-athletes at its public universities from the definition of a “public employee,” and therefore, the right to bargain collectively through a union.
An amendment to Michigan’s Public Employee Relations Act signed by Governor Rick Snyder excludes from the definition of “public employee” :
(1) “a…
NLRB Student-Athlete Decision Could Be Issued Soon
As National Labor Relations Board Member Nancy Schiffer’s term ends on December 16, 2014, the expectation is that a flurry of important NLRB decisions will be issued before then, including on whether scholarship student-athletes are employees under the NLRA (Northwestern University, Case 13-RC-121359). This expectation is based on what occurred prior to the expiration of…
Ray Rice Saga: Not Just About The Punishment Fitting the Crime
The disturbing domestic violence incident involving former Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice and his wife may raise issues for professional football’s labor relations as well as Rice’s future career as a player.
Rice was seen in a hotel video dragging his wife out of an elevator. National Football League Commissioner Roger Goodell investigated and…