"unions, including the Service Employees International Union and Communications Workers of America, have been urging Biden to break with precedent by forcing him out immediately"
"you’re firing this individual
of an independent agency without cause because unions have asked you to
do it"
BIDEN FIRES NLRB GENERAL COUNSEL AFTER HE REFUSES TO RESIGN
President Joe Biden fired Peter Robb, the Trump-appointed general counsel for the National Labor Relations Board, after Robb refused a request from the new administration to resign.
The White House notified Robb of his dismissal by letter—sent minutes after Biden was sworn in Wednesday—which specified he had until 5 p.m. to voluntarily resign or be fired, two people with knowledge of the correspondence said.
In a rebuke to the new chief executive, Robb said in a letter he wouldn’t voluntarily resign and that his removal would “permanently undermine” the work of the agency. A White House spokesperson Wednesday confirmed that Robb refused to resign and was fired.
“I respectfully decline to resign from my Senate-confirmed four-year term appointment as General Counsel of the NLRB less than 10 months before the expiration of my term,” the labor board’s top lawyer wrote.
The NLRB enforces private-sector workers’ rights to organize, and its general counsel has sweeping authority to determine which types of cases the agency does or doesn’t pursue. Robb, a former management-side attorney who helped Ronald Reagan defeat the air traffic controller’s union, has pushed an aggressive, pro-business agenda at the labor board.
His term was slated to last until this coming November, but unions, including the Service Employees International Union and Communications Workers of America, have been urging Biden to break with precedent by forcing him out immediately, in order to begin reorienting the agency toward protecting workers.
Also on Wednesday, the Biden administration named Democrat Lauren McFerran to head the NLRB, replacing John Ring, the Republican chairman since 2018 who presided over major business-friendly decisions during the Trump administration.
McFerran, the NLRB’s sole Democrat, will still be outnumbered by Republicans, who told a 3-1 majority on the five member board. The fifth seat, reserved for a Democrat, is vacant.
‘Outrageous Ultimatum’
Robb appears to be the first NLRB general counsel to be forced out in more than half a century. The move angered Republicans and business attorneys who said it threatened the agency’s independent status and betrayed Biden’s call for unity in his inaugural address.
“This outrageous
ultimatum that General Counsel Robb step down from his four-year Senate
appointment less than ten months before the expiration of his term is
unacceptable and flouts the National Labor Relations Act,” said Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-N.C.), the ranking member on the House Education and Labor Committee.
For
unions, Robb’s apparent removal offered reassurance that Biden would
live up to his pledge to fully support labor. Union allies began calling
for the general counsel’s ouster only days after the November election,
pointing to the attorney’s record of siding with employers in key cases
and efforts to rein in the agency’s regional offices.
“He has been a toxic figure in the NLRB,” said Rep. Andy Levin (D-Mich.), vice chair of the House Education and Labor Committee. “He has worked to undermine its mission.”
A Democratic replacement, who would need Senate confirmation, would be able to begin reversing the prior administration’s changes to agency procedure, though Democrats on the NLRB will still face gridlock until Republicans lose the board majority in August.
Trump Refrained
An NLRB spokesperson declined to comment on Robb’s status after 5 p.m. Wednesday. White House spokespeople didn’t respond when asked for comment.
Critics of the move noted that former President Donald Trump refrained from firing Richard Griffin, the NLRB general counsel during the Obama administration, allowing him to serve nine more months until the end of his term. Before that, Ronald Meisburg, a Republican appointed by President George W. Bush, served for more than a year under Obama.
“The timing and the optics are stunning,” said Michael Lotito, a management-side attorney at Littler Mendelson. “At the same time the president is talking about unity, you’re firing this individual of an independent agency without cause because unions have asked you to do it. So from a labor management perspective this isn’t about unity. This is about bare-knuckle politics.”
Robb clashed with Democrats on Capitol Hill throughout his tenure, especially over the agency’s failure to spend the entire allocation of its annual budget and a short-lived plan to centralize control over field operations and shorten investigations.
Fire Power
The fact that Robb might be the first NLRB general counsel ever to be fired raises raises legal questions. In 1950, then-President Harry Truman asked the NLRB general counsel at the time, Robert Denham, to leave over the execution of the anti-union Taft-Hartley Act. Denham voluntarily resigned.
Supporters of Robb’s ouster point to the more recent Supreme Court decision in Seila Law v. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, which affirmed the president’s authority to fire the head of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, an independent agency similar in structure to the NLRB.
Others question that theory.
“Is Peter going to challenge this? Go into his own pocket to bring an action to contest it? I don’t know,” Lotito said.
—With assistance from Ben Penn, Andrew Kreighbaum, and Robert Iafolla
FOR THE RECORD.I AM NOT POLITICAL.IT IS 2021.IF YOU ARE TO IGNORANT TO REALIZE THAT THEY ARE ALL RAT SCUM BAGS AND THAT WASHINGTON IS A CESSPOOL OF CARPETBAGGERS FOR SALE TO THE HIGHEST BIDDER YOU ARE DOOMED TO SPEND YOUR LIFE AS A DUMB ASS.THAT IS ON YOU
FOR THE RECORD.PETER ROBB IS DIRECTLY RESPONSIBLE FOR ENDING THE UBC MUPS EXTORTION PROGRAM.HE FORCED THE NLRB REGIONAL OFFICE TO DO THEIR JOB AND PROTECT WORKERS FROM SCUM BAGS INSTEAD OF SELLING OUT THE NLRB TO THEIR UNION HANDLERS
HEY BIDEN YOU SELL OUT UNION WHORE
WE ALL KNOW HOW MUCH THE UNIONS HAVE PAID YOU OFF
I guess the head of the doj is next to protect the family name in hunters investagations
ReplyDeleteBallantyne backed Murphy get elected it came with much consequences. Murphy knows his whole back story and how the UBC works.
ReplyDeleteMurphy (is he still helping UBC causes) takes pictures with Billy Sproule, what part makes sense to you?
Murphy why are you afraid of Steve Sweeney?
And soo the fascist takeover begins.
ReplyDeleteAll you " union" workers... Your check and balance is gone.
You havent had a voice in your union. Now you have ZERO PROTECTION going forward.
Illegal activity or not. You now have to eat it.
As moderator said. Robb actually forced the regional nrlb in phila to do their job.
Most do not realize how many attorneys were fired during the mups case.
Fired for not " making it go away"
Hey Peter Robb. Get some redemption. Take on a class action lawsuit against the carpenters union. There sitting on millions of dollars of illegally collected money. That members were forced to pay with loss of employment. Loss of union membership. And refusal to give the members their vaction checks that are part of the collective bargaining agreement. Oh by the way the mupp program is not in the cba. It’s an ilegal program voted on by a bunch of sellout delegates That frank spencer bought down here to ohilly when he went up to New York to take over the u ion for corruption. He thought this corruption was a good idea to implement in New Jersey. Peter Robb let’s get our monies back !!!!!
ReplyDeleteI’m not too worried about Biden and his pro-Union appointees because we have the Federal Court system to fall back on. Last stop is the Supreme Court which now is going to level the playing field in favour of working members.
ReplyDeleteI’m waiting to see how some of the UBC related cases settle out and if Team McCarron gets a pass then I’ll sue for the right to right to make dues payments optional.
UNITED BROTHERHOOD OF CRUMBLERS
ReplyDeleteAs Trump era ends, U.S. Attorney McSwain steps down. Is politics in his future? https://www.inquirer.com/news/mcswain-us-attorney-philadelphia-campaign-politics-eastern-district-of-pennsylvania-krasner-20210123.html?__vfz=medium%3Dsharebar
ReplyDeleteSo let me understand some random facts mike is Doug’s brother he headed up a council they had a falling out.
ReplyDeleteMike then tried to expose inside trading ok that was proven and he got a slap. Doug gives gf a job mike goes at him with that as well and tries to expose hidden embezzled monies in their moms account. Doug then ruins mike.
Mike you can’t go to court and get anything done about this?
I been watching since those clips on YouTube
ReplyDeleteMikes problem is similar to many former UBC employees in that made the mistake of thinking that they were independent of Doug and could challenge him at will. They were wrong, just like Ballentine was wrong.
ReplyDeleteReform will only be brought to the UBC from outside the UBC.
So if he has all sorts of dirt and legitimate issues and laws that were broken why hasn’t he gone to court maybe he’s dirty????
ReplyDeleteOr just like majority of these guys a lot of what they do is not against the law it’s just unethical.
Even lily white ballantyne would hire people on appointment so job or positions didn’t have to go public.
Hence Robert Weakley of the Meadowlands.
UNETHICAL BROTHERHOOD OF CRUMBLERS
SO maybe Doug Frank Wattercotte and Billy and George Laughenberg and Tricia aren’t wrong just unethical POS!!!!
Almost everything the new managers of the UBC does is unethical. They hijacked our Union and have enriched them selves at our expense since Doug became GP.
DeleteHas this group of people crossed the line from unethical conduct to illegal?? I’d bet on it!!!
Team McCarron has been operating under the pre-these that the membership won’t assert rights that they don’t know they have, or until someone challenges what he and his associates do then they will keep doing it.
Anyone who operates under this pretense will eventually cross the line. For example, the old NYC excuse: “It’s ok because that’s how we’ve always done it” does not mean it’s legal. This led to the arrest of many UBC employees throughout the country, especially in NYC.
I think there is very good chance the Grand Jury investigating Team McCarron will bring charges.
100% correct.
DeleteThat is why part of the mups case addressed that EXACT situation.
When many of you received ( im using 158 as an example) a letter from Thomas Dougherty stating that you were stricken from membership.
Legally and ETHICALLY there needed to be a clear, concise, definition of what your options and rights under federal law.
1. Notify you of your entire beck rights ( without a carefully crafted biased opinion)
2. Notify you of your right to choose " non member working status" ..
This was not done.
It is illegal.
It was unethical.
More importantly .... It is ILLEGAL..
To the point that it also had to be removed from the ubc constitution under 45Q.
They knew full well it was not legal... But enforced it until someone challenged it.
John Newell started the challenge in new york.
The agencies once again roadblocked him and direct threats and retaliation were levied on him.
In a summary. The ubc attorneys threatened to sue him personally for damages... Btw. Totallllly unethical, and as it turned out.. Also illegal.
Heinemann tried it in Roys case.
He figured it worked once. Try it again. We see how that panned out.
Another big win.
If you file a complaint with the nrlb. You no longer must list the company you are working for.
This takes the onus off of the individual and prevents the company from being embroiled in the case and incurring unfair legal fees.
Plus they cant just " lay you off" like most companies would in the past.
You list your employer as the UBC. Thats where the complaint is.
That is a HUGE WIN for ALL unions.
They can no longer " hide" beck rights and other rights in page 15 of a magazine written in mirco print in a light gray font so you cant read it.
The UBC fears the informed member.
They dont want you to know your rights. As you can see why.
No matter which side you fall on about the issue.
We are all dues paying members.
We all have rights and responsibilities.
Those rights apply to all members and " leadership".
Those responsibilities also apply.
More so if an " elected" rep.
There lies the problem.
When everyone is appointed... And the appointers have no compass and integrity or ethics...everyone they appoint will have same traits.
Accountability through an open and fair election process is 1 way we used to have checks and balance.
It works. It is not perfect. It is better than this tyrannical fascist regime though.
It gives the member a chance.
Exactly!!!!
DeleteNo they are wrong and unethical POS
ReplyDeleteThey’re also criminals.
DeleteAGAIN VERRELLI YOU GOING TO HELP THE MEMBERSHIP OR JUST YOUR BANK ACCOUNT???
ReplyDeleteHow about Ballantyne and Lopez they going to help.....nope
ReplyDeleteNope just there pockets
DeleteA VERY RELIABLE SOURCE CLAIMS THE FEDS HAVE TAKEN MCCARRON'S PASSPORT
ReplyDeleteHow nice that would be but I sincerely doubt it to be true. First of all McCarron has yet to be charged with committing any crime yet.
DeleteAnd what about Spencer?
ReplyDeleteWhat about him you mean that he was never a union carpenter, perhaps maybe someone should shed some light on his background
DeleteAsk yourself.
DeleteWho is Spencers closest friend from childhood.
Then allll of this makes sense.
Id love to ask the sheridans... But they " mysteriously" died ...
Think cooper.
Think camden.
Think philanthropy with a mafia edge.
John Cooper, Spencer and the powerful Norcross were all pals
ReplyDeleteIsn’t there a story about Spencer and arson and someone has pictures?
ReplyDeleteFunny you should mention that...... and yes there is. Frank would you like to tell the story or should I????
DeleteI insist go ahead
ReplyDeleteStill waiting?
ReplyDeleteI heard a lil something about it please tell us Frank
ReplyDeleteI’ll post what I was told happened later this evening, stay tuned it’s classic scumbag Spencer!!
ReplyDelete👻
DeleteGuess not
DeleteGreat story union brother
DeleteLooking forward 👏
ReplyDeleteIs it this evening yet?
ReplyDeleteWho’s the scumbag
ReplyDeleteHow come no one talks about how Jersey is in bed with the Mob. They sure are quick to point the finger at NYC and for the record past and present leaders are aware of this don’t be fooled. Again they all go along till it happens to them.
ReplyDeleteYou guys do such a great job