The Democrats’ majority on the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) will end sooner than many expected, as the Senate declined to reconfirm Chair Lauren McFerran, a Democrat, to the board.
We’ve gathered articles on the news from SHRM and other outlets.
Blocked Nomination
Senators voted 49 to 50 against a five-year term for McFerran, opening the door for Republican control of the board starting next year under President-elect Donald Trump. Reconfirming McFerran would have locked in a Democratic advantage on the NLRB.
Including McFerran, the board has three Democrats and one Republican, with one Republican vacancy.
(The Hill)
Controversial Decisions
Opponents of McFerran’s nomination have criticized several board rulings, including ones that created an easier path to unionize outside of the long-standing secret ballot election process and made it more difficult to classify workers as independent contractors. Trump’s upcoming appointees to the board are expected to reverse those decisions. McFerran’s term ended Dec. 16.
Without McFerran, Democrats hold a 2-1 majority on the NLRB. That means Trump, once in office, might quickly nominate two Republicans for consideration by the Senate, which will be controlled by Republicans.
(Bloomberg Government and Reuters)
Support and Opposition of Renomination
“If you truly care about working families, if you care about fixing income inequality in America, then you should be in favor of advancing today’s NLRB nominee,” Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. said of nominating McFerran. Most Republicans opposed McFerran’s nomination, in addition to Sen. Joe Manchin, I-W.Va., and Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, I-Ariz.
(CBS News)
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