Trump fires US labor board member, hobbling agency amid legal battles

Source: Reuters

Jan 28 (Reuters) - President Donald Trump has removed a Democratic member of the U.S. National Labor Relations Board from office, an unprecedented move that will escalate an ongoing legal battle over the scope of the president's powers to control federal agencies.

Gwynne Wilcox, who was appointed to the board by Democratic former President Joe Biden, in a statement called her firing late Monday illegal and said she would pursue "all legal avenues" to challenge it.

The five-member board already had two vacancies, so the removal of Wilcox leaves the agency without a quorum to issue decisions even in routine cases accusing companies or unions of violating federal labor law.

Hundreds of cases are pending before the board, including ones involving Amazon.com, Tesla, Walmart, Apple, and dozens against Starbucks as it faces a nationwide union campaign.

-snip-

By Daniel Wiessner
January 28, 2025 11:28 AM EST Updated an hour ago


Read more: https://www.reuters.com/world/us/trump-fires-us-labor-board-member-hobbling-agency-amid-legal-battles-2025-01-28/