NLRB General Counsel Calls an Audible on Classifying Student-Athletes as Employees

By Brian C. Mahoney and Michelle K. Piasecki, of Harris Beach PLLC   After recent decisions by the U.S. Supreme Court and National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) declined to address whether college athletes are employees of their respective colleges and universities, the issue of pay for play appeared all but dead in the water. That is, until the NLRB General Counsel issued a memorandum on January 31, 2017 reversing course on the NLRB’s previous decision in Northwestern University. The Gene