Fortune By Sean Higgins 2/2/2021
One of Joe Biden’s first acts as President of the United States, the removal of National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) general counsel Peter Robb, was probably unconstitutional. It was certainly highly unethical. Biden fired Robb despite the NLRB being an independent federal agency. And Biden apparently did it because his union friends don’t like Robb.
The NLRB might not be that well known, but it is an important agency. The NLRB, not the Labor Department, enforces federal law relating to unions and violations of worker rights. The NLRB’s “general counsel†is not, as the title might imply, just a lawyer for the agency, but its head. And he or she is not supposed to serve at the pleasure of the President.
Nevertheless, shortly after Biden was sworn in Wednesday, the new administration sent Robb a letter demanding his resignation. Robb refused to step down, noting he still had 10 months left to serve in his term. He warned the White House in a letter that his removal would create an “unfortunate precedent†that would “permanently undermine†the board.
“Such action undermines Congress’s intent that the Office of the General Counsel be independent of the Board and the Executive Branch,†Robb told the White House. The Biden team nevertheless forced Robb to go.
More:
https://fortune.com/2021/02/02/biden-administration-firing-nlrb-general-counsel-robb/
