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ARTICLE · 31 MAY 2023

"Fight On" For Employee Status

Ford Harrison LLP
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The National Labor Relations Board's (NLRB's) recent unfair labor practice (ULP) complaint against the University of Southern California (USC)...

United StatesEmployment and HR
Robert E. Entin
Robert E. Entin
Robert Baker
Robert Baker
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Executive Summary: The National Labor Relations Board's (NLRB's) recent unfair labor practice (ULP) complaint against the University of Southern California (USC), the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), and the Pac-12 Conference (Pac-12) sets the case for collegiate athletes to unionize.

USC is one of the favorites to win the national championship in college football this year. Armed with the reigning Heisman Trophy winner at quarterback, loads of returning starters, and an enviable recruiting class, head coach Lincoln Riley is looking to bring home a championship to Trojan nation for the first time since 2004.

However, all is not well in Troy. In what is the most significant step toward college athlete unionization to date, the NCAA, Pac-12, and USC face allegations of violating the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) for failing to classify student-athletes as employees. The ULP complaint calls for the parties to "cease and desist from

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