On December 21, 2017, President Trump named Marvin Kaplan Chairman of the National Labor Relations Board. The new NLRB Chairman originally joined the Board in August. His term expires on August 27, 2020.
“The President’s announcement is an honor and privilege, and I look forward to serving as Chairman of the National Labor Relations Board.” Kaplan said. “I remain committed to working with my colleagues to achieve the important goal of issuing timely decisions that apply the National Labor Relations Act in a way that protects the rights of employees, employers, and labor organizations throughout the country.”
Current Composition of the NLRB
Fellow 2017 Trump appointee William Emanuel joins Kaplan as Republican members of the Labor Board.
Two holdover NLRB members from the Obama Administration, Mark Pearce and Lauren McFerran, are both Democrats.
Former Chairman Philip Miscimarra left the Board when his term expired on December 16, 2017. President Trump has not yet formally nominated someone to fill that seat. However, management-side labor attorney John Ring is believed to be the leading candidate, pending background checks.
Until Ring or another Republican joins the Board, the 2-2 party deadlock will likely prevent the NLRB from issuing any decisions on politically charged subjects. But, a series of actions by the Republican majority just before Miscimarra’s term expired predict additional policy changes once the Board regains full strength in 2018.
Meet the New NLRB Chairman
Before joining the NLRB, Marvin Kaplan was legal counsel to the federal Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission. Before that, he served as workforce policy counsel for the U.S. House Committee on Education and the Workforce. He also served as counsel for the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee and the Office of Labor-Management Standards.
Kaplan received his B.S. in Policy Analysis and Management from Cornell University. He earned his J.D. from Washington University in St. Louis.
Before starting his public service career, Kaplan worked briefly in private practice as an associate in the Kansas City law firm of McDowell Rice Smith & Buchanan.
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