SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
The National Labor Relations Board is an independent federal agency responsible for enforcing U.S. labor laws. (Photo: Gerald Shields/Wikimedia Commons)
'An Excellent Pick': Labor Advocates Applaud Biden Nomination of Jennifer Abruzzo for NLRB General Counsel
"There is no one who has a more thorough grasp of the National Labor Relations Board and the purpose of the National Labor Relations Act than Jennifer Abruzzo," said one union leader.
Feb 16, 2021
U.S. labor leaders and advocates on Wednesday hailed President Joe Biden's nomination of Communications Workers of America special counsel Jennifer Abruzzo for the top legal post at the National Labor Relations Board, with one Democratic congressman calling her "a far cry" from Peter Robb, who held the job during the Trump administration and was fired last month by the current president.
"We hope Jennifer's confirmation process is speedy--working people need her at the helm of the NLRB now more than ever."
--Chris Shelton, CWA president
In a statement announcing Abruzzo's nomination for NLRB general counsel, the White House called her "a tested and experienced leader" who, if confirmed by the Senate, "will work to enforce U.S. labor laws that safeguard the rights of workers to join together to improve their wages and working conditions and protect against unfair labor practices."
"Abruzzo will bring her more than two decades of experience and knowledge at the NLRB to help rebuild America's middle class," the statement continued, adding that she "will be an important member in supporting the NLRB's work to build a stronger, more resilient, and more inclusive economy that delivers every American a fair return for their work and an equal chance to get ahead."
The NLRB is an independent federal agency tasked with enforcing labor laws and fair labor practices.
Abruzzo's nomination marks a stark departure from former President Donald Trump's assault on labor rights. While Robb was blasted as an "extreme, anti-union ideologue" and a "uniquely destructive figure" by the Service Employees International Union, labor leaders greeted news of Abruzzo's nomination with overwhelming approval.
"There is no one who has a more thorough grasp of the National Labor Relations Board and the purpose of the National Labor Relations Act than Jennifer Abruzzo," CWA president Chris Shelton said in a statement. "She is a brilliant attorney who understands how the actions of the NLRB impact the daily lives of people at their workplaces."
"President Biden's selection of Jennifer as the NLRB general counsel shows that under his watch, issues affecting working people will be handled by people like Jennifer who have dedicated their lives to helping workers--and not union busters like we saw during the Trump administration," Shelton added. "We hope Jennifer's confirmation process is speedy--working people need her at the helm of the NLRB now more than ever."
Some Democratic lawmakers also expressed their approval of Abruzzo.
Biden--who campaigned promising to be the "most pro-union president ever"--has been praised by labor advocates for early moves including firing Robb and rescinding a series of Trump-era orders meant to weaken federal employee unions and eliminate civil service protections.
On Wednesday, Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris hosted a group of labor leaders at the White House, where they discussed the American Rescue Plan--the administration's $1.9 trillion economic stimulus and coronavirus pandemic recovery proposal--and improving the nation's infrastructure.
An Urgent Message From Our Co-Founder
Dear Common Dreams reader, It’s been nearly 30 years since I co-founded Common Dreams with my late wife, Lina Newhouser. We had the radical notion that journalism should serve the public good, not corporate profits. It was clear to us from the outset what it would take to build such a project. No paid advertisements. No corporate sponsors. No millionaire publisher telling us what to think or do. Many people said we wouldn't last a year, but we proved those doubters wrong. Together with a tremendous team of journalists and dedicated staff, we built an independent media outlet free from the constraints of profits and corporate control. Our mission has always been simple: To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. Building Common Dreams was not easy. Our survival was never guaranteed. When you take on the most powerful forces—Wall Street greed, fossil fuel industry destruction, Big Tech lobbyists, and uber-rich oligarchs who have spent billions upon billions rigging the economy and democracy in their favor—the only bulwark you have is supporters who believe in your work. But here’s the urgent message from me today. It's never been this bad out there. And it's never been this hard to keep us going. At the very moment Common Dreams is most needed, the threats we face are intensifying. We need your support now more than ever. We don't accept corporate advertising and never will. We don't have a paywall because we don't think people should be blocked from critical news based on their ability to pay. Everything we do is funded by the donations of readers like you. When everyone does the little they can afford, we are strong. But if that support retreats or dries up, so do we. Will you donate now to make sure Common Dreams not only survives but thrives? —Craig Brown, Co-founder |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
U.S. labor leaders and advocates on Wednesday hailed President Joe Biden's nomination of Communications Workers of America special counsel Jennifer Abruzzo for the top legal post at the National Labor Relations Board, with one Democratic congressman calling her "a far cry" from Peter Robb, who held the job during the Trump administration and was fired last month by the current president.
"We hope Jennifer's confirmation process is speedy--working people need her at the helm of the NLRB now more than ever."
--Chris Shelton, CWA president
In a statement announcing Abruzzo's nomination for NLRB general counsel, the White House called her "a tested and experienced leader" who, if confirmed by the Senate, "will work to enforce U.S. labor laws that safeguard the rights of workers to join together to improve their wages and working conditions and protect against unfair labor practices."
"Abruzzo will bring her more than two decades of experience and knowledge at the NLRB to help rebuild America's middle class," the statement continued, adding that she "will be an important member in supporting the NLRB's work to build a stronger, more resilient, and more inclusive economy that delivers every American a fair return for their work and an equal chance to get ahead."
The NLRB is an independent federal agency tasked with enforcing labor laws and fair labor practices.
Abruzzo's nomination marks a stark departure from former President Donald Trump's assault on labor rights. While Robb was blasted as an "extreme, anti-union ideologue" and a "uniquely destructive figure" by the Service Employees International Union, labor leaders greeted news of Abruzzo's nomination with overwhelming approval.
"There is no one who has a more thorough grasp of the National Labor Relations Board and the purpose of the National Labor Relations Act than Jennifer Abruzzo," CWA president Chris Shelton said in a statement. "She is a brilliant attorney who understands how the actions of the NLRB impact the daily lives of people at their workplaces."
"President Biden's selection of Jennifer as the NLRB general counsel shows that under his watch, issues affecting working people will be handled by people like Jennifer who have dedicated their lives to helping workers--and not union busters like we saw during the Trump administration," Shelton added. "We hope Jennifer's confirmation process is speedy--working people need her at the helm of the NLRB now more than ever."
Some Democratic lawmakers also expressed their approval of Abruzzo.
Biden--who campaigned promising to be the "most pro-union president ever"--has been praised by labor advocates for early moves including firing Robb and rescinding a series of Trump-era orders meant to weaken federal employee unions and eliminate civil service protections.
On Wednesday, Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris hosted a group of labor leaders at the White House, where they discussed the American Rescue Plan--the administration's $1.9 trillion economic stimulus and coronavirus pandemic recovery proposal--and improving the nation's infrastructure.
U.S. labor leaders and advocates on Wednesday hailed President Joe Biden's nomination of Communications Workers of America special counsel Jennifer Abruzzo for the top legal post at the National Labor Relations Board, with one Democratic congressman calling her "a far cry" from Peter Robb, who held the job during the Trump administration and was fired last month by the current president.
"We hope Jennifer's confirmation process is speedy--working people need her at the helm of the NLRB now more than ever."
--Chris Shelton, CWA president
In a statement announcing Abruzzo's nomination for NLRB general counsel, the White House called her "a tested and experienced leader" who, if confirmed by the Senate, "will work to enforce U.S. labor laws that safeguard the rights of workers to join together to improve their wages and working conditions and protect against unfair labor practices."
"Abruzzo will bring her more than two decades of experience and knowledge at the NLRB to help rebuild America's middle class," the statement continued, adding that she "will be an important member in supporting the NLRB's work to build a stronger, more resilient, and more inclusive economy that delivers every American a fair return for their work and an equal chance to get ahead."
The NLRB is an independent federal agency tasked with enforcing labor laws and fair labor practices.
Abruzzo's nomination marks a stark departure from former President Donald Trump's assault on labor rights. While Robb was blasted as an "extreme, anti-union ideologue" and a "uniquely destructive figure" by the Service Employees International Union, labor leaders greeted news of Abruzzo's nomination with overwhelming approval.
"There is no one who has a more thorough grasp of the National Labor Relations Board and the purpose of the National Labor Relations Act than Jennifer Abruzzo," CWA president Chris Shelton said in a statement. "She is a brilliant attorney who understands how the actions of the NLRB impact the daily lives of people at their workplaces."
"President Biden's selection of Jennifer as the NLRB general counsel shows that under his watch, issues affecting working people will be handled by people like Jennifer who have dedicated their lives to helping workers--and not union busters like we saw during the Trump administration," Shelton added. "We hope Jennifer's confirmation process is speedy--working people need her at the helm of the NLRB now more than ever."
Some Democratic lawmakers also expressed their approval of Abruzzo.
Biden--who campaigned promising to be the "most pro-union president ever"--has been praised by labor advocates for early moves including firing Robb and rescinding a series of Trump-era orders meant to weaken federal employee unions and eliminate civil service protections.
On Wednesday, Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris hosted a group of labor leaders at the White House, where they discussed the American Rescue Plan--the administration's $1.9 trillion economic stimulus and coronavirus pandemic recovery proposal--and improving the nation's infrastructure.
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.