Northwestern RB Venric Mark refers to union efforts as Kain Colter's movement
With Kain Colter no longer a member of the Northwestern football team, is the push to unionize amongst Northwestern players as strong?
Northwestern RB Venric Mark said Tuesday that the efforts of Northwestern players to unionize was Kain Colter's movement and he didn't know if players knew what they were getting themselves into by filling out union cards.
"Guys did sign cards supporting Kain and what he's trying to do and his movement, but at the end of the day, as I stated, everything outside of our locker room is outside of our locker room," Mark said via ESPN Chicago. "And so some guys signed, some guys didn't. I don't know if people kind of knew what they were going to get into, if they thought it was going to turn out the way it did.
"But at the end of the day, now it's time to get back to work. We have a job here, and we understand that. Kain's no longer on this football team."
Mark, who also said the exposure for the team was a positive, declined to reveal if he filled out a card. Colter was a senior in 2013. Mark was a redshirt junior last season and was granted an extra year of eligibility via a medical hardship waiver in January.
DT Chance Carter said Colter sent the entire team a lengthy email after Wednesday's NLRB ruling that allowed Northwestern players the opportunity to vote to form a union. However, that decision is currently being appealed by the school.
"I really do think there are some inconsistencies with the NCAA regarding student-athletes," Carter said.
We'll find out soon if the players want to continue to push forward with possibile unionization. According to an Outside the Lines report Sunday, the players have until Wednesday to get a list of voters to the NLRB's Chicago office and file a request for review. Then, the NLRB could have the players vote to form a union and seal the results until the appeals process is done or hold off on a vote until it's over. Only players currently on the Northwestern roster at the time of the vote would be allowed to participate.
To file the petition for the NLRB to review, over 30 percent of players on the Northwestern roster had to fill out union cards. It's unknown how many initially did or how many are still on the team.
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