In a devastating blow to workers’ rights, President Trump has fired two key officials from the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), effectively crippling the agency’s ability to rule on labor disputes. The removal of NLRB Member Gwynne Wilcox and General Counsel Jennifer Abruzzo leaves the board without a quorum to issue decisions, potentially stalling hundreds of pending cases against major corporations, including Amazon, Tesla, Walmart, and Starbucks. Wilcox has vowed to challenge her dismissal through legal avenues.
The NLRB plays a crucial role in enforcing workers’ rights, as federal law does not allow employees to sue for labor violations in court. It remains one of the few agencies dedicated to protecting workers’ rights to organize. Under Abruzzo’s leadership, the NLRB pursued policies that strengthened labor protections, including making it easier for workers to unionize and banning mandatory anti-union captive audience meetings. The NLRB under Biden had been one of the most pro-worker boards in the nation’s history.
The firings have sparked widespread backlash and raise serious legal questions, particularly regarding Wilcox’s removal, which may violate federal labor law and set a dangerous precedent for future administrations.
This shakeup comes as new data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics reveals that union membership in the U.S. has dropped to around 10%, despite public support for unions exceeding 70%. With the NLRB effectively paralyzed, labor organizers face mounting challenges in advocating for workers’ rights. Furthermore, Trump’s actions confirm his administration’s allegiance to corporate and extremist interests—such as Starbucks and Elon Musk—while undermining the few protections currently available to the working class.
