The removal of the National Labor Relations Board’s general counsel had been expected. But the firing of a Democratic member stops it from protecting workers’ rights, for now.

Take a seat in the Break Room, our weekly round up of labor news in Minnesota and beyond. This week: Trump kneecaps the NLRB; union membership declines nationally; union membership tied to longer life expectancy;

President Trump fired National Labor Relations Board General Counsel Jennifer Abruzzo. In an unprecedented move, he also ousted Democratic board member Gwynne Wilcox, leaving the board with no quorum.

President Donald Trump is forcing out top leaders of the U.S. labor board, ushering in a swift reboot of workplace law enforcement while testing the limits of presidential authority.

Democrat Gwynne Wilcox, whose term was supposed to run through August 2028, said she believes her firing violates Supreme Court precedent.