President Obama announced his intent to make three recess appointments to fill vacancies on the NLRB. By making recess appointments, the President does not need Senate approval of the appointees. 

This time the appointments are two Democrats and one Republican.  They are:

  • Sharon Block, currently deputy assistant secretary for congressional affairs at the Labor Department;
  • Terence Flynn, chief counsel to NLRB member Brian Hayes; and
  • Richard Griffin, general counsel for the International Union of Operating Engineers.

The NLRB will again have a 3-2 Democratic majority. So, employers can expect more pro-union decisions and more rule changes that will foster union organizing efforts, like the rules amending election procedures and the rules requiring employers to post notices of employees’ right to organize.