Deluge of Labor Board Decisions Likely as Sole Democrat Exits

The National Labor Relations Board is expected to be quite busy in coming days, as the agency’s sole Democratic member, Lauren McFerran, reaches the end of her term Dec. 16.

The board has historically issued a flood of case decisions, both routine and major, in the final days of a member’s term. The practice was adopted in light of the agency’s unique structure—a five-seat, bipartisan panel designed so that one member’s term expires each year. McFerran’s departure will make the NLRB a Republican-only board, because the other Democratic seat has been vacant for a year.

The NLRB will stick to ...