President Barack Obama today announced his intent to nominate current National Labor Relations Board Chairman Mark Pearce, as well as two newcomers, Harry L. Johnson III and Philip A. Miscimarra, as Members of the NLRB. Pearce, who has been the Board’s chairman since August 2011 and a member of the NLRB since March 2010, is a former union attorney, while both Johnson and Miscimarra are employment lawyers representing employers.The nominations require Senate confirmation.
In February, the President had also nominated Democrats Sharon Block and Richard Griffin to full terms on the Board. Block and Griffin, along with former Board Member Terence Flynn, are at the center of a controversy over whether Obama’s recess appointment of the three was valid. They have been Board Members since January 2012. See, Recess Appointments at NLRB Unconstitutional, Federal Appeals Court Rules.
In a press release from the White House, President Obamasaid, “I am pleased to nominate these individuals to serve on the National Labor Relations Board. By enforcing workplace protections, upholding the rights of workers and providing a stable workplace environment for businesses, the NLRB plays a vital role in our efforts to grow the economy and strengthen the middle class. With these nominations there will be five nominees to the NLRB, both Republicans and Democrats, awaiting Senate confirmation. I urge the Senate to confirm them swiftly so that this bipartisan board can continue its important work on behalf of the American people.”