In Unprecedented Attack on Workers and the Rule of Law, Trump Fires NLRB Member Wilcox

President Trump has fired National Labor Relations Board Member Gwynne Wilcox, the first Black woman to serve on the board, in a shocking and unprecedented attack on workers and the rule of law.

In 1935, Congress made it the policy of the United States to encourage collective bargaining between workers and their employers, and designated the NLRB to implement that policy – as an independent agency, separate from the president’s cabinet. NLRB board members are confirmed by the Senate to set terms and may only be removed “for neglect of duty or malfeasance in office.” Political disagreements with the president are not grounds for removal, and Ms. Wilcox is challenging her firing in court.

The outrageous decision to remove a Senate-confirmed member of the board is an attack on that legacy and a threat to all workers, signaling to unscrupulous employers that they can get away with illegal union-busting and retaliation against workers who exercise their right to organize. NELP deplores this action, and will continue to support workers nationwide who are building power to demand dignity on the job.