COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — The Republican-controlled Ohio House
has approved a proposal that says college athletes are not employees
under state law.
The measure was approved as part of a broader bill Wednesday that heads next to the Ohio Senate.
It
comes after a landmark National Labor Relations Board decision last
month involving Northwestern University’s football team. That ruling
says full scholarship players can be considered employees and thus are
eligible to form a union.
If it holds, the ruling could have widespread repercussions in the multibillion-dollar college sports
industry.
Ohio
lawmakers are among the first in the nation to react legislatively to
the ruling. The provision’s supporters say it clarifies state law and
could have little effect.
The Ohio AFL-CIO accuses majority Republicans of trying to "engineer punitive proposals."
Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights
reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or
redistributed.
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — The Republican-controlled Ohio House
has approved a proposal that says college athletes are not employees
under state law.
The measure was approved as part of a broader bill Wednesday that heads next to the Ohio Senate.
It
comes after a landmark National Labor Relations Board decision last
month involving Northwestern University’s football team. That ruling
says full scholarship players can be considered employees and thus are
eligible to form a union.
If it holds, the ruling could have widespread repercussions in the multibillion-dollar college sports
industry.
Ohio
lawmakers are among the first in the nation to react legislatively to
the ruling. The provision’s supporters say it clarifies state law and
could have little effect.
The Ohio AFL-CIO accuses majority Republicans of trying to "engineer punitive proposals."
Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights
reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or
redistributed.