In 2024, the School began a new Executive Forum for alumni who are head-of-function at their respective organizations. Each Forum focuses upon a timely topic and encourages dialogue among leaders.
To kick off 2025, LER hosted a talk with Elizabeth Kerwin, MHRIR 02. She was appointed to serve as the Regional Director of Region 7 of the National Labor Relations Board in October 2021 by General Counsel Jennifer Abruzzo. With a Regional Office in Detroit and a Resident Office in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Region 7 is responsible for conducting elections, investigating unfair labor practice charges, and protecting the right of workers to act collectively to improve their wages and working conditions throughout the lower peninsula and the eastern half of the upper peninsula of Michigan.
For this forum, Kerwin spoke about the uncertainty surrounding presidential administration changes, and what HR leaders might expect to see in the coming days, months, and years. Her focus for change was on personnel changes, NLRB Board/rule changes, General Counsel Memos, and federal policy changes.
To set the stage, Liz showed that there had been a downward trend in petitions and Unfair Labor Practices since the 70’s. The petitions hit their low point in 2021 at just over 1500, then spiking in 2024 with almost 3200. While the argument could have been made that decreasing petitions should be reflected by a decrease in agency staffing, this recent spike has highlighted that there is a critical shortage of agents to handle the petitions and ULP claims. This will be an area to watch.
She anticipates that the age-old question of what employees will be covered by the NLRB will again be examined and perhaps change under the current administration, as swings are seen with each administration change. Examples of groups to watch will be student-athletes and independent contractors. Other topics of intrigue will be non-compete agreements, electronic surveillance of employees, remote work, and joint employer rules. She also anticipates that a change could come with the naming of a new General Counsel for the NLRB, perhaps before the current GC’s term ends in July.
The alumni in attendance have requested another update in this area in the coming months once more has been settled, and a direction appears imminent for the NLRB. Kerwin also offered that as rules change, any organization is able to contact their Regional Office for a presentation for their group about the rules and procedures of the NLRB that apply to them.
To learn more about how to join the Executive Forum, if you are a head-of-function at your organization, reach out to Cory Hatfield. If you have topic areas you’d like to see covered at future Forums, please contact Nell Madigan.
