John, I want to share an exciting legislative update with you.
Yesterday, I announced that I will be leading the House version of the College Athlete Right to Organize Act, alongside Sens. Chris Murphy and Bernie Sanders, who've introduced the same bill in the Senate.
I'm proud to introduce and lead on this legislation, John. As an educator, former college football player, and progressive, I feel strongly about protecting the rights of college athletes and ensuring that their value as workers and scholars is recognized.
These talented young people, many of them Black and brown, deserve so much more than to be treated as sources of revenue without autonomy or ownership over their labor. The fact that they don't have collective bargaining rights is a labor and civil rights issue that requires our immediate attention.
College sports today aren't like the college sports of generations past. Big time college sports, in particular, can no longer be considered "amateur." It's incredibly frustrating that the NCAA continues to deny their athletes economic and bargaining rights while treating them commodities — all while raking in billions of dollars in profit, year-over-year, for themselves.
We can't wait around for the NCAA to do the right thing, which is why we're introducing this legislation. The College Athlete Right to Organize Act will not only give college athletes the right to collectively bargain; it will also amend the National Labor Relations Act to define college athletes as employees, ensure that athletes won't waive their right to bargain in scholarship agreements, and so much more.
Thanks for adding your name,
Jamaal Bowman
