Acting NLRB General Counsel Rescinds Controversial Biden-Era Memoranda, Signaling Shift at NLRB
On February 14, 2025, National Labor Relations Board Acting General Counsel (“GC”) William Cowen issued Memorandum 25-05, which rescinded dozens of policy memos issued by his predecessor, Jennifer Abruzzo, during the Biden Administration. Cowen cited an unsustainable “backlog of cases” as the primary motivation for the rescission and shed light on his more measured prosecutorial intent, writing that “[t]he unfortunate truth is that if we attempt to accomplish everything, we risk accomplishing nothing.” Cowen also signaled that he plans to publish new guidance to replace some of the rescinded policy memos and signaled that his office may completely abandon other Biden-era policy initiatives. The rescission memo is among the first public steps Cowen has taken since assuming the Acting GC role in early February. As we expected, it confirms that he plans to chart a different course for some of the most visible and controversial issues in labor law today. Background: Under the ...