Unions, business groups on watch for recess appointments to labor board

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

Unions are watching the White House this holiday season in hopes that President Obama will risk a political backlash to prevent a shutdown of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB).

The NLRB will be left with two board members when the recess appointment of Craig Becker expires at the end of the congressional session. The Supreme Court has ruled that the NLRB needs at least three members to issue rulings and regulations.

With Senate Republicans unlikely to confirm new NLRB nominees, it appears that Obama would have to make recess appointments to keep the labor board up and running.

But bypassing Congress could carry a political cost for the president. Republicans argue the NLRB has become a proxy for the labor movement and could point to the recess appointments as evidence that Obama is taking cues from his union allies as he runs for reelection.

All 47 Republican senators sent Obama a letter on Monday asking that he not make recess appointments to the NLRB.

http://thehill.com/business-a-lobbying/201329-unions-business-groups-on-watch-for-recess-appointments-to-labor-board

Edited December 26, 2011 by ☼