General President Coleman’s statement on firings of NLRB General Counsel Abruzzo and member Gwynne Wilcox

On January 28, news broke that President Donald Trump fired National Labor Relations Board General Counsel Jennifer Abruzzo and NLRB member Gwynne Wilcox. SMART General President Michael Coleman issued the following statement in response:

“From day one, General Counsel Jennifer Abruzzo made it her mission at the National Labor Relations Board to fight for working Americans. In the past, SMART members and organizing workers in this country could only hope for an impartial figure in the NLRB’s general counsel position. With Abruzzo, the American working class had a champion — someone who spent her entire career advocating for workers and advancing their rights to unionize. She was, is and always will be a true friend of the American worker, and she will be sorely missed.”

General President Coleman added:

“General Counsel Abruzzo’s firing was a blow, but an expected one. The firing of NLRB member Gwynne Wilcox is something else entirely — an unprecedented move that makes it impossible for the NLRB to perform its core duties, leaving American workers in limbo. At this time, the board cannot issue decisions, including routine-but-vital cases alleging violations of labor law and workers’ rights. Make no mistake: This move hurts American workers.”