Dartmouth Men’s Basketball Team Votes to Unionize, Seizing Opportune Moment

As labor participation in the United States reaches record highs amid a global surge in workers’ rights activism, an unexpected sector is now joining the movement – athletes at an Ivy League institution. Dartmouth College, a small Ivy League school in New Hampshire, witnessed a groundbreaking event on March 5th when the men’s basketball team voted 13-to-2 to unionize. This move is unprecedented in collegiate sports, marking the first successful attempt at union action in nearly a decade.

The athletes’ decision to unionize means they can collectively negotiate with Dartmouth College to advocate for improvements, particularly concerning healthcare and pay. The players are now represented by the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 560, a union advocating for various workers at Dartmouth. This development reflects a broader trend of increased labor and organized labor activity worldwide, particularly in the U.S., where more than 450 strikes occurred in 2023 alone.

While previous attempts by U.S. student-athletes to unionize, notably in 2015 at Northwestern University, faced rejection, the Dartmouth basketball case takes a different turn. An NLRB regional director determined that college basketball players at a private university are indeed employees, allowing them to unionize under the National Labor Rights Act (NLRA).

The context of the unionization effort is set against a backdrop of growing support for organized labor in the U.S. A 2023 Gallup poll revealed that more than two-thirds of Americans approve of labor unions, a significant increase from a decade ago. Younger generations, including college-aged students, are particularly supportive of unions, contributing to the changing landscape of labor relations.

The Dartmouth basketball team’s move is also occurring amid significant changes in U.S. collegiate athletics. A 2021 Supreme Court decision altered rules around “name, image, and likeness (NIL)” policies, allowing student-athletes to earn money through sponsorships – a shift from previous NCAA restrictions.

Despite the successful vote, Dartmouth University officials are pushing back against the unionization effort, asserting that the students on the men’s basketball team are not employees and that unionization is inappropriate. The university is filing a “request for review” of the NLRB’s decision, indicating a potential legal battle that may reach the national level or even the Supreme Court.

While the outcome remains uncertain, the historic vote sends a clear message to student-athletes nationwide and may inspire workers in other industries to consider collective action, highlighting the evolving landscape of labor relations in the U.S. The players’ push for unionization is seen as a significant step, and the outcome could have implications for athletes and workers beyond the realm of collegiate sports.