Lynn Rhinehart, Senior Fellow at the Economic Policy Institute, and Lauren McFerren, Senior Fellow at The Century Foundation and former National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) chairman, joined the America's Work Force Union Podcast to discuss threats to labor law and worker protections through the dismantling of federal agencies, attempts to invalidate NLRB decisions and what this means for workers' rights and union representation.
Rhinehart began by discussing the Trump administration's efforts to control independent regulatory agencies, including the NLRB and the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (FMCS). She explained how the administration's actions, such as ordering the FMCS to shut down, disrupt ongoing labor disputes and undermine the agency's role in maintaining labor peace. Rhinehart believes these moves are part of a larger power grab aimed at controlling agencies that regulate business practices and protect workers' rights.
Drawing from her experience with the NLRB, McFerren warned of the dangers posed by recent proposals to invalidate board decisions. She discussed a letter from the Coalition for a Democratic Workplace asking the Attorney General to unilaterally declare NLRB precedents invalid. McFerren called it a "spectacularly bad idea" that would throw the labor law system into chaos. She stressed the importance of the NLRB's independence and the potential consequences of turning it into a political tool, reducing its ability to remain a neutral arbiter of labor disputes.
Both experts expressed concern over the broader implications of these actions for workers' rights and union representation. They discussed how the dismantling of worker protections, coupled with attempts to reverse pro-worker rulings, could significantly weaken workers' ability to organize and bargain collectively. Rhinehart and McFerren discussed the need for vigilance and pushback against these efforts to ensure the continued effectiveness of labor laws and agencies designed to protect workers.
Listen to the full episode above to hear more from Rhinehart and McFerren on some of the challenges that could impact labor law and worker protections.