Dartmouth will not enter into collective bargaining with the union its men’s basketball players voted to join earlier this month, the school said Monday in a move that could send the case to federal court. In a statement announcing its refusal to bargain a labor deal with the athletes, the school was adamant that it believes “athletes in the Ivy League are not employees.
“Given Dartmouth’s decades-long commitment to athletics as an extension of our academic mission, we believe the regional director has made an extraordinary mistake in finding these students are employees,” the school said in its statement, which called the players 'students whose educational program includes athletics.” Dartmouth is asking for a review of the regional director's decision by the full board.