NLRB Will Review Northwestern Case

Paul Burmeister was quoted in the Society For Human Resource Management article “NLRB Will Review Northwestern Case.”

The National Labor Relations Board granted Northwestern University’s request for review of the regional director’s March 26, 2014, decision finding that scholarship football players are employees under the National Labor Relations Act.

The players voted on whether they would unionize on April 25, but the results of the vote won’t be disclosed until after the board’s review of the regional director’s decision.

This process will move at a glacial pace because the NLRB is soliciting amicus briefs, Paul noted.

He expects widespread responses to that request because there are many interested parties from the athletic, university and labor sides who will want to weigh in.

“The NLRB impounds ballots to ensure that only those people involved in a union organizing effort have the right to vote,” said Paul. “The board wants to rule solely on the legal issues without being swayed in any direction by the result of the vote.”