The Dartmouth’s Men’s Basketball players have voted to form a union which would be the first of its kind in collegiate athletics. And while Doug Gottlieb believes some of these players are being exploited, he warns that there are consequences to forming a union which might not benefit the players as much as they are hoping. After all, if you’re in a union you become employees instead of student-athletes, with all the legal entanglements that brings.
Doug Gottlieb: “True unions, you have to pay dues and you can get benefits from them...It actually can be a relief to the schools, like, ‘Oh, you guys want to be a true union? Sure! Pay your dues, get your insurance there. We don’t have to do it.’ Problem solved. And then, oh yeah, by the way, when you’re an employee, not only can you get fired but then all the other benefits you receive, you’re technically supposed to be taxed on them.”