Trump Dismisses Labor Relations Board Members in Overhaul of Pro-Union Organization
The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) is now operating with only two members on its five-member board; a quorum of three is necessary for making decisions.
On Monday, President Donald Trump made significant changes to the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) by dismissing its pro-union General Counsel Jennifer Abruzzo and board member Gwynne Wilcox. This action is expected to face legal challenges.
The NLRB is responsible for enforcing the nation’s labor laws and supervising union elections.
The agency’s former chief attorney expressed that serving in this role was her “greatest honor and privilege,” highlighting the accomplishments of her and her colleagues over the past four years. She noted these achievements as “empowering workers to collectively pursue improved wages, benefits, and working conditions from their employers.”
“There’s no putting that genie back in the bottle. So, if the Agency does not fully effectuate its Congressional mandate in the future as we did during my tenure, I expect that workers, with assistance from their advocates, will take matters into their own hands to secure the dignity and respect they deserve in the workplace, along with a fair share of the considerable value they add to their employer’s operations,” she remarked.
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Deputy General Counsel Jessica Rutter has stepped in as Acting General Counsel, according to Abruzzo.
On the same day, Trump also dismissed NLRB member Gwynne Wilcox, a Democrat appointed by Biden.
Wilcox stated to media outlets that it had been a privilege to serve both as a Board Member and Chair of the NLRB. She expressed her intent to explore “all legal avenues” to contest her removal, which she contended “violates long-standing Supreme Court precedent.”
“As the first Black woman Board Member, I added a distinct perspective that I believe will be lost due to my unprecedented and unlawful removal,” Wilcox stated.
Trump’s actions in terminating both Abruzzo and Wilcox coincide with existing vacancies within the agency. This restructuring leaves the five-member board with just two members, which hinders its ability to issue decisions, even in standard cases involving allegations against companies or unions for breaching federal labor law.
Critics Respond to the Firings
Although courts upheld Biden’s 2021 dismissal of Peter Robb, who was appointed by Trump as NLRB general counsel, national labor law specifies that once board members are confirmed, they may only be removed for “neglect of duty or malfeasance in office, but for no other cause.”
The reasoning behind Trump’s terminations remains unclear but indicates a shift away from the pro-union policies and legal perspectives adopted by the NLRB under the Biden administration.
The Epoch Times has reached out to the White House for a statement.
“By retaining only two board members, the President has effectively paralyzed the operations of the National Labor Relations Board, leaving the workers it serves to fend for themselves in the wake of union-busting and retaliation,” Shuler remarked.
She stated that the firings will “facilitate violations of the law by employers and infringe upon workers’ legal rights and fundamental freedom to organize in the workplace.”
The sign on the National Labor Relations Board building in Washington, D.C. on Sept. 8, 2012. Geraldshields11 via Wikimedia Commons/CC BY-SA 3.0
Conversely, some applauded Trump’s actions and accused the NLRB of “undermining employer free speech” and engaging in misconduct during Abruzzo’s leadership.
“This has compromised Americans’ ability to earn a living as they deem fit,” Walberg asserted. “It is time for this organization to revert to its role as a neutral mediator.”
He characterized her as a “radical Biden-Harris bureaucrat who led Biden’s efforts to weaponize the NLRB, thereby pressuring American workers to unionize against their will.”
The Epoch Times has sought commentary from the NLRB for additional insights.
