Catherwood LibraryILR School

A North Carolina public employees union has offered to represent athletes at the state?s 17 public universities so long as they have state scholarships. The State Employees Association is making the daring move based on the ruling by the Chicago regional NLRB ruling stating that university athletes are employees. Even if the student-athletes join the union, North Carolina restricts public employees from collective bargaining, so the action is largely seen as a symbolic one. Even without the ability to bargain collectively, students in North Carolina may see unionization as a way to voice concerns on a national stage and put pressure on universities without ever going to the bargaining table. In Ohio, a bill in the state legislature would ban student-athletes from unionizing.