Trump Appointee Is Trying to Squelch Us, Labor Board Staff Says

The National Labor Relations Board's (NLRB) regional directors say President Trump's appointee for NLRB general counsel, Peter B. Robb, has floated a proposal to demote those directors who resolve most labor cases, reports the New York Times . The directors and their staffs usually resolve more than 85 percent of the approximately 20,000 cases submitted to the agency annually over disputed labor practices without involving the general counsel. The counsel is granted independent authority as a prosecutor, derived from the National Labor Relations Act, and performs other duties on behalf of the NLRB's board, which functions as its highest court of appeals. The regional directors' reduction in authority and the placement of a new group above them would most likely require board approval. Attorney Michael J. Lotito says NLRB officials assured him that Robb's proposal was largely in response to budget cuts reflecting a substantial decline over several decades in the number of labor charges filed. The agency itself noted that "given budgetary issues, the general counsel is assessing the current organizational structure for possible changes," but said, "No specific plan involving the restructuring of our organization has been developed."