Northwestern football players vote on forming union, results sealed

The Northwestern University football players cast their ballots on whether or not to unionize on Friday, in a historic vote that could change the landscape of college sports.

But, the results of that vote have been sealed and will remain so until the university completes its appeals process, challenging the ruling on the Chicago National Labor Relations Board handed down which allowed the vote to even take place.

The Northwestern football players went through two rounds of voting, and will now wait out the weeks to even years that will pass by until the results are finally (if ever) revealed.

According to an AP report, students seemed jovial after the vote was complete, dancing and waving at reporters as they walked by, with one student yelling out, “You got to give the people what they want!”

But is this what the people want? Now that the ballots have been cast, the players are going to start to feel the pressure that comes with what they have started, not to mention having to become a part of the politics and heavy-handedness of the Chicago labor world.

Former Northwestern quarterback Kain Colter, who has been the leader of this effort, doesn’t see it that way, and he spoke after the voting was complete.

"“We’re one step closer to a world where college athletes are not stuck with sports-related medical bills, do not lose their scholarships when they are injured, are not subject to unnecessary brain trauma and are given better opportunities to complete their degree.”"

While all of those points are valid and worthy of discussion, the question remains as to whether or not the collective bargaining table is the best place to air those grievances.

All anyone can do now is wait for the appeals process to play out, which could potentially delay any negotiations between the NCAA and students to help alleviate some of those problems.