The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) truly is operating at full strength after the Senate in late October approved the nomination of former IUOE Counsel Richard Griffin to be the agency’s General Counsel.
Griffin’s vote came just weeks after the Senate approved President Obama’s nominations for three open seats on the five-person board following a deal between officials at the White House and the upper chamber of Congress. Griffin had served as an NLRB board member from January 2012 to August 2013.
AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka noted what have a full board and general counsel at the NLRB would mean: “Earlier this year, a full complement of National Labor Relations Board members were confirmed for the first time in more than a decade. With today’s confirmation of Richard Griffin to serve as General Counsel, the NLRB is now running on all cylinders to meet its duty to fairly and impartially oversee the workplace rights of millions of Americans.
“Richard Griffin is superbly qualified for this important post. He has deep knowledge of labor law and decades of practical experience. He will serve the NLRB with distinction.
“A functioning NLRB is good news for all workers – whether they belong to a union or not – seeking to exercise the rights they are guaranteed by law. These essential rights include the right of workers to stand together and bargain for fair wages, safe workplaces, and other improvements on the job. America’s working families applaud the Senate for taking much needed action on all NLRB nominees.”
The NLRB Office of the General Counsel is independent from the general board and is responsible for the investigation and prosecution of unfair labor practice cases, the conducting of secret ballot elections to determine whether employees desire union representation and for the general supervision of the NLRB field offices across the country.