Northwestern Coach Urges ‘No’ Vote On Union

Northwestern football coach Pat Fitzgerald is encouraging his team to vote no on forming a union less than two weeks after the National Labor Relations Board said the players could bargain collectively and called for an election.

Fitzgerald made his first public comments on the situation after a Saturday spring practice session at the school's lakefront facility in suburban Chicago.

But he sent letters stating his position to players and their parents and addressed the team for the first time Wednesday.
 
The NLRB has set the election for April 25th. The university plans to appeal the decision by an NLRB regional administrator to the full board by Wednesday.
 
Fitzgerald said "I believe it's in their best interests to vote "no."