Walker, Burke Disagree Over Merit Of Student Athlete Unions

As the Wisconsin Badgers get ready to play in the NCAA men’s basketball Final Four, Gov. Scott Walker and his Democratic challenger Mary Burke disagree over whether unions for college athletes are a worthwhile idea.

Walker was asked this week about letting college athletes form labor organizations, as a National Labor Relations Board official was ruling that scholarship football players at Northwestern University have the right to form a union.

“I just think it’s one of those things that are kind of ridiculous,” said Walker. “I think most people just think it’s reasonable that they want to play whatever sport it is – basketball football, lacrosse, hockey, you name it. And part of their incentive in doing that … is they’re given an education either entirely for free on a scholarship, or at least partially on a partial scholarship.”

Walker has two sons in college and says it would have been great if either got a scholarship to help pay for their education. He says if some athletes don’t want to go to college, they can go right to professional sports – though depending on the sport, the athletes that skip college often struggle in the pros.

Burke says college athlete unions do have to be considered in light of the revenue some sports take in.

“It’s a difficult issue, but I wouldn’t call it ridiculous,” said Burke. “There are a lot of people making a lot of money off of college athletics right now. We have to make sure that the students that are generating that are not only getting a good education, but are able to support themselves.”

This is not expected to be the last time Burke and Walker disagree on unions, given the endorsements several labor groups gave ZBurke this week.