Senate Restores Republican Majority to NLRB, Confirms Key DOL Nominee

Employment Law

The Senate voted 50 to 48 along party lines to confirm John Ring, who as the new chairman will fill the National Labor Relations Board's only remaining vacancy, restoring the five-member board to a GOP majority after four months of stalemate.  Among the key Obama-era NLRB rulings that the Republican majority could reconsider are the joint employer standard, the ambush election rules, and the misclassification of workers as independent contractors.  Separately, the Senate also voted along party lines to confirm Pat Pizzella as the Labor Department's Deputy Secretary, the second-highest officer at DOL.  While Mr. Pizzella's confirmation is expected to quicken the pace of agency rulemaking activities, the Senate has still not confirmed Cheryl Stanton, nominated to serve as Wage and Hour Division Administrator.