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04/18 21:07 CDT Unfair labor complaint filed against Notre Dame over athletes
Unfair labor complaint filed against Notre Dame over athletes
SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) --- An unfair labor complaint was filed Thursday against
the University of Notre Dame for classifying college athletes as
"student-athletes."
The complaint was filed with the National Labor Relations Board by a
California-based group calling itself the College Basketball Players
Association. It said Notre Dame is engaging in unfair labor practices as
defined by the National Labor Relations Act.
The complaint is similar to one filed against University of Southern California
last May by the NLRB's Los Angeles office alleging players on USC's football
and men's and women's basketball teams are employees and not "student-athletes"
within the meaning of the National Labor Relations Act.
Notre Dame cited its Statement for Principles for Intercollegiate Athletics in
responding to a request for comment on the complaint, saying athletics is "an
integrated participant in and contributor to the University's education mission
... ."
"Clearly, Notre Dame's athletic programs are part of --- not separate from ---
our broader educational mission," the school said. "We will vigorously defend
our approach to ensuring that being a 'student-athlete" describes precisely the
educational and developmental experience our students receive at Notre Dame."
A ruling by a regional NLRB director in February paved the way for the
Dartmouth men's basketball team to vote to join in union last month, though the
school is challenging the ruling.
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