President Trump Designates James Murphy As Chairman Of The National Labor Relations Board

March 31, 2026

What's New

President Trump has designated NLRB Member James Murphy to serve as the agency’s Chairman. The U.S. Senate confirmed Murphy, a Republican, to serve as an NLRB Member on December 18, 2025. Before his nomination, Murphy spent decades at the agency as an attorney, including as counsel to multiple Board Members and in other senior staff roles.

What It Means

The Board currently consists of three Members: Murphy and Scott Mayer (Republicans) and David Prouty (a Democrat). Two seats remain vacant.

The NLRB Chairman exercises significant control over the Board’s administrative priorities, case processing, and internal operations. Although the Board has had a Republican majority since January 7, 2026, it has issued few controversial decisions. During his confirmation hearing, Murphy emphasized that he would prioritize reducing the backlog that built up in 2025 when the Board lacked a quorum—suggesting a near-term focus on resolving pending matters rather than selecting cases aimed at revisiting or overturning recent precedent.

That said, Murphy will face pressure to prioritize cases that could reverse some of the most controversial opinions issued during the Biden Administration. As things stand, the Board will lose its quorum again in August when Democratic Member Prouty’s term expires, which may affect the timing and sequencing of any such cases.

What You Should Do

Employers should watch for signals in Chairman Murphy’s agenda-setting and case prioritization. Employers may also wish to review current labor strategies with counsel, particularly where positions were shaped by Biden-era Board precedent. CWC members can discuss these issues further at an upcoming Conversation Corners.

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