John Fry is a student at Harvard Law School.
NLRB Member Gwynne Wilcox may be experiencing whiplash right now. President Trump attempted to terminate her shortly after his inauguration in January. On March 6, the District Court for the District of Columbia ordered that Wilcox could retake her seat. On March 28, a D.C. Circuit panel stayed the district court’s order, keeping Wilcox at home pending the case’s full consideration. On April 7, the full D.C. Circuit reversed the panel, handing Wilcox another victory. In a terse order, a majority of the circuit noted that the Supreme Court has declined to overrule Humphrey’s Executor and that lower courts must “leav[e] to the Supreme Court the prerogative of overruling its own decisions.”
The Court may be exercising that prerogative. On Wednesday afternoon, it stayed the D.C. Circuit’s decision, meaning that Wilcox is once again sidelined for the time being. The Court asked Wilcox to file a response by Tuesday, indicating that the current stay is likely to be a short-term measure while the Court decides how to proceed with the case. This approach is in keeping with what appears to be a broader attempt by the Court to avoid showdowns with the Trump administration, delaying controversial cases on technical grounds and sending them back to lower courts when possible. However, given the relative legal simplicity of Wilcox’s case, a full ruling from the Court could come soon.
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December 12
OH vetoes bill weakening child labor protections; UT repeals public-sector bargaining ban; SCOTUS takes up case on post-arbitration award jurisdiction
December 11
House forces a vote on the “Protect America’s Workforce Act;” arguments on Trump’s executive order nullifying collective bargaining rights; and Penn State file a petition to form a union.
December 8
Private payrolls fall; NYC Council overrides mayoral veto on pay data; workers sue Starbucks.
December 7
Philadelphia transit workers indicate that a strike is imminent; a federal judge temporarily blocks State Department layoffs; and Virginia lawmakers consider legislation to repeal the state’s “right to work” law.
December 5
Netflix set to acquire Warner Bros., Gen Z men are the most pro-union generation in history, and lawmakers introduce the “No Robot Bosses Act.”
December 4
Unionized journalists win arbitration concerning AI, Starbucks challenges two NLRB rulings in the Fifth Circuit, and Philadelphia transit workers resume contract negotiations.