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: Jottings By An Employer's Lawyer

Can the NLRB Function With 2 Members?

By Michael W. Fox, Esq.

Well obviously only in a very limited manner, and according to the DC Circuit, not at all. Three Circuits, the 1st, 2nd and 7th say it can, and now the Supremes will tell us. Justices to decide validity of two-member NLRB decisions.

Currently Obama's three Board member nominees have passed committee muster, but John McCain has placed a hold on one of the nominees, SEIU attorney, Craig Becker. NLRB Nominee Gets Mixed News From Senators My understanding is that Senator Harkin will not submit the other two candidates for a full Senate vote until a resolution is reached over Becker.

I assume that there is some way that this will all get worked out under the curious protocols of the Senate. It does seem to me though that an outsider looking at the whole way we deal with the NLRB membership, including long periods of time with less than a full Board, and the way that precedent is an almost non-existent concept even when we have a functioning Board, would have to say that it's not much way to run a railroad.

For some insight into just how the Senate nomination process works (or doesn't) check out, Fractured Nomination Process Leaves Regulatory Posts Vacant.

Full post as published by Jottings By An Employer's Lawyer on November 02, 2009 (boomark / email).