US labor official says Dartmouth basketball players are school employees, sets stage for union vote

By JIMMY GOLEN and RALPH D. RUSSO
AP Sports Writers

A National Labor Relations Board regional official has decided that Dartmouth basketball players are employees of the school, clearing the way for an election that would create the first-ever labor union for NCAA athletes. All 15 members of the Dartmouth men’s basketball team signed a petition in September asking to join a union, which already includes other employees at the Ivy League school in Hanover, New Hampshire. The school says it will appeal the decision to the national board. Unionizing would allow the players to negotiate not only over salary but working conditions, including practice hours and travel.