How Democrats Could Limit Trump's Damage To Unions

They could ensure a Democratic majority at the National Labor Relations Board well into Trump’s term — but doing so comes with a risk.

Donald Trump’s next presidency could usher in a dark time for labor unions, but there’s one way Democrats might limit his damage to the labor movement this time around.

Senate Democrats have an opportunity to reconfirm Lauren McFerran, the chair of the National Labor Relations Board, to another term at the agency, ensuring a Democratic majority into the second half of 2026. They only have about five weeks to do it since Republicans will take control of the Senate and its confirmation agenda on Jan. 3.

There’s a lot at stake. The independent NLRB investigates unfair labor practices and enforces workers’ rights; its board in Washington, which typically has five members, rules on whether employers have broken the law and what the remedies should be. The agency’s worker-friendly tilt since President Joe Biden took office has helped sustain a wave of union organizing.

In just the latest example, the board issued a ruling this week barring employers from holding anti-union “captive audience” meetings at work, finding their mandatory nature to be coercive and therefore illegal. It’s just the sort of precedent-setting decision that could benefit unions — and that a Trump board could happily reverse.

The question is whether Democrats would move quickly enough to delay a Republican majority by a year or more.