For the first time in a decade, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) is up to strength with five members fully approved by the U.S. Senate following yesterday afternoon's vote on a revised slate of appointees.
As part of the recent nuclear showdown in the Senate over the use of the filibuster, Republicans were able to wring one concession from the Democrats: President Obama would drop the nominations of NLRB members who previously had been given now-unconstitutional recess appointments and then name new appointees, which he did.
The Senate vote on Tuesday came just hours before Senate members left for their congressional summer recess. Had Senators not acted, NLRB Chairman Mark Gaston Pearce's current commission would've expired in August, and the board would have been left without a quorum (it was down to three members before yesterday's vote).
Following precedent that the party controlling the White House should control the NLRB, the board now has three Democratic and two Republican sitting members.
Besides renewing Pearce for another five-year term, Senators also confirmed Democrats Kent Hirozawa and Nancy Schiffer, who both have long experience as labor lawyers. The two Republicans approved are a pair of attorneys who have worked with employers on labor issues, Philip A. Miscimarra and Harry I. Johnson III.