Dive Brief:
- President Joe Biden selected Gwynne Wilcox as chair of the National Labor Relations Board on Tuesday, according to a news release from the agency. Wilcox replaces Lauren McFerran, whose term ended Dec. 16 after the U.S. Senate blocked her renomination to the board last week.
- Wilcox is the first Black woman chair of the board and is the first Black woman to serve on the NLRB since it was formed in 1935, the agency said. Her second term on the board ends Aug. 27, 2028; she joined the board in 2021.
- Wilcox is one of two Democrats on the board, alongside David Prouty, whose term ends in August 2026. Marvin Kaplan is the lone Republican on the board; his term expires in August 2025. There are also two open seats.
Dive Insight:
“I’m honored to serve as Chair of the NLRB and continue the exceptional work done by the Agency,” Wilcox said in a statement. “I’m committed to a smooth transition for the Board and our dedicated career public servants.”
President-elect Donald Trump likely will designate his own chair of the board when he takes office in January.
McFerran’s blocked nomination clears the way for a potential Republican majority on the board. Board members are appointed to the NLRB for five-year terms but must be approved by the Senate.
Prior to her time on the board, Wilcox was a senior partner at a New York City labor and employment law firm, Levy Ratner, P.C. She served as associate general counsel of 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East and as a labor representative for the NYC Office of Collective Bargaining. She also previously worked as a field attorney at Region 2 of the NLRB in Manhattan.
