The Top 10 ‘Consequences’ Of Unions On College Campuses

Ever since the Northwestern football players’ fight to improve their playing conditions through union representation came across our radar, House Republicans seem downright fearful about the potential impact of unions on college campuses.

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Well, we have news for them. Shockingly, college organizing is no new trend; it’s already happening all over the country. To help everyone understand the real “consequences” this poses, here are five examples of what can happen:

1. Service Workers Are Being Treated Fairly and Paid Living Wages

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Service workers have formed unions at Georgetown University and hundreds of other campuses.

2. Adjunct Professors Don’t Die in Poverty

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A longtime Duquesne University adjunct faculty member died of a heart attack after working a fast-food job to supplement her income as a professor, providing a catalyst for change in an ongoing organizing campaign.

3. Graduate Teaching Assistants Can Afford Continued Education and Health Insurance

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Graduate Teaching Assistants at New York University and the University of Connecticut recently joined tens of thousands of America’s best and brightest as unionized teaching and research assistants at more than 60 prestigious university campuses, including UC Berkeley, Michigan, Washington and Wisconsin.

4. Colleges Stop Supporting Sweatshop Labor

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Students at more than 150 schools have organized chapters of United Students Against Sweatshops, and less collegiate apparel is manufactured in abusive, dangerous sweatshop conditions.

5. Cafeteria Workers Are Allowed Sick Days

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Workers at Simmons College and Lesley University win paid sick leave through their union.

So maybe college unions aren't all bad? Well, if college athletes get their way, here are more possible "consequences" of what we might see from this movement:

6. Reduced Risk of Sports-Related Traumatic Brain Injury

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College athletes suffered more than 29,000 concussions between 2004 and 2009, but the NCAA has refused to enact any doctor-recommended protections.

7. Guaranteed Medical Coverage

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As it stands, too many former athletes are stuck with expensive, sports-related medical bills for injuries that hobble them long after they graduate. Guaranteed medical coverage is enough to make anyone want to dance.

8. Higher Graduation Rates

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The College Athletes Players Association (CAPA) wants to establish an educational trust fund to help former players complete their degrees and reward those who graduate on time.

9. Scholarships that Fully Cover the Cost of Attending College

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Currently, “full” scholarships are capped by the NCAA below the actual cost of attending by $3,000 to $5,000 per player per year, forcing some students to go hungry.

10. A Say on Rules that Govern Athletes’ Lives

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For decades, businessmen and administrators have governed the NCAA with little input from the players themselves. They’ve imposed thousands of rules that govern every aspect of a player’s life. Players want the right of due process if they are accused of a rule violation to ensure punishments are fair and consistent across campuses.