After member Terence F. Flynn resigned from the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) over the Memorial Day weekend amid accusations of having leaked documents to GOP colleagues, the four remaining board members today issued a statement in hopes of calming the trouble waters from events they termed "a distraction" from "our mission."
The statement reads, in a part directed to the NLRB staff:
Today we ask you to reflect on the mission of this agency. We are here to enforce a statute that guarantees the right of employees to organize, bargain collectively with their employers or to refrain from all such activity. This statute, the National Labor Relations Act, implements this nation’s labor policy – a policy that assures free choice and encourages collective bargaining as a means of maintaining industrial peace. We serve the public in this regard employing the highest of ethical standards.
Flynn's resignation takes effect July 24, but in the interim he has recused himself from all deliberations. Flynn is reportedly under investigation by the Office of Special Counsel for possible violations of the Hatch Act, which forbids federal employees from participating in partisan political activities.