Brian Bryant, International President of the 600,000-member International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM), wrote a letter urging the Senate to confirm President Biden’s re-nomination of Lauren McFerran to the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB).
Prior to her appointment to the NLRB, McFerran served as Chief Labor Counsel for the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP Committee) and also previously served the Committee as Deputy Staff Director under Senator Tom Harkin.
The NLRB, a vital independent government agency responsible for enforcing U.S. labor law, plays a pivotal role in shaping the lives of working people.
“McFerran has proven time and time again she works hard to ensure the NLRB protects workers through her extensive background of working for the betterment of our nation’s workforce,” wrote Bryant in a letter. “This includes several former jobs, including previously serving as Chief Labor Counsel for the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP Committee).”
The Biden NLRB, unmistakably pro-union and pro-worker, has sought input on various critical matters, including:
1. Allowing unions to organize appropriate bargaining units, moving beyond the restrictive “wall-to-wall” approach
2. Expanding traditional make-whole remedies for unfair labor practices to encompass consequential damages
3. Strengthening workers’ rights to engage in concerted activities
4. Extending protections to workers through a redefinition of independent contractor status
5. And numerous other initiatives aimed at supporting workers’ rights