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A timeline leading up to the National Labor Relations Board's decision on Monday preventing Northwestern University football players from unionizing: Spring 2013: Northwestern QB Kain Colter reaches out to Ramogi Huma -- president of the College Athletes Players Association -- to discuss conditions and rights of college athletes. Sept. 21, 2013: QB Kain Colter, along with 10 other teammates plus players from Georgia and Georgia Tech, wear black wristbands with the hashtag "#APU" (All Players United) during games. Jan. 28, 2014: Northwestern football players ask to be represented by a labor union. Feb. 18-22, 2014: Hearings (aka "certification of representative" procedures) are held in front of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). March 26, 2014: Chicago district of NLRB rules that Northwestern football players are employees and can unionize. April 2-3: Colter and Huma meet with undisclosed legislators in Washington, D.C., for informational briefings. April 5: Northwestern football coach Pat Fitzgerald urges his players to vote against forming a union. April 9: Northwestern officially appeals ruling by the NLRB Chicago regional director allowing football players to unionize. April 24: The NLRB grants Northwestern's "request for review" of the ruling that allowed football players to form a union. April 25: Northwestern football players cast secret ballots about whether to form a union. Ballot boxes will remain sealed while the university challenges the effort to unionize. July 3: Northwestern asks the full NLRB to overturn the ruling that allowed players to form a union. Oct. 1: The Big Ten announces it notified the NCAA of plans to improve medical insurance and to guarantee multiyear scholarships. Aug. 17, 2015: The NLRB overturns the decision that allowed Northwestern football players to form a union. As a result, the results of the ballots cast on April 25 will not be revealed and the players cannot appeal the decision.
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