Labor, NLRB, EEOC Nominees Advance in Senate Committee

Employment Law

The Senate HELP Committee advanced a slew of Trump nominees this week, including Deputy Labor Secretary nominee Patrick Pizzella, NLRB General Counsel nominee Peter Robb, DOL Wage and Hour Division nominee Cheryl Stanton, and EEOC nominees Janet Dhillon and Daniel Gade.  The committee voted along strict party lines, 12 to 11, to recommend the nominees.  Senate HELP Chair Lamar Alexander reiterated the candidates' strong credentials, saying they are "well-qualified nominees who will serve in important roles that touch the everyday lives of Americans."  Of particular note is the advancement of NLRB General Counsel nominee Peter Robb, whose confirmation will help balance a Board that, during the Obama administration, "overturned an astounding total of 4,559 years' worth of long-standing precedent, blurred numerous bright-line tests, and dramatically overhauled the union election process—all in an effort to benefit organized labor," according to a report by Littler's Workplace Policy Institute.  Mr. Robb previously served as an attorney with the NLRB and as chief counsel to former Board member Robert Hunter before a career in the private practice of labor and employment law.  Mr. Pizzella, meanwhile, currently serves as Acting Chairman of the Federal Labor Relations Authority (FLRA) and has served as a member of the FLRA since 2013.  He previously served as DOL Assistant Secretary of Labor for Administration and Management for the entirety of the George W. Bush Administration.