The number of union elections overseen by the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) will decrease by 30% in 2025. Trump administration The federal labor watchdog is running out of power, according to an analysis released Wednesday.
The number of workers participating in union elections fell by 59,000, a 42% drop from the previous year. Report From the Center for American Progress. The total number of union elections fell from a 10-year high of 2,124 in 2024 to 1,498 in 2025.
The success rate in union elections also fell to 69.8% in 2025 after rising to 72% in 2023.
The NLRB presides over the enforcement of labor law in the private sector, including the conduct and enforcement of union elections. National Labor Relations Act. Workers file for an election with the NLRB after they agree to form a union, but their employer does not voluntarily recognize it.
Since the start of his second term, Trump has made unprecedented moves Freeze board.
Trump just a few days after assuming power. Removed Gwynne Wilcox, a NLRB board member, left the board without the quorum needed to make decisions. When Trump eventually restored the quorum, he Appointed Two Republicans filled the vacant seats, creating a conservative majority.
Although the NLRB was created to protect workers’ rights and rule on disputes, the board’s political makeup dictates how friendly it is to managers or their employers.
The agency also lost About 100 employees Due to early retirements and the purchase of resignations by Elon Musk’s unofficial “government efficiency department,” about 1,100 workers are left to oversee collective bargaining and labor practices in the private sector. By comparison, in 2016, the agency had 1,545 employees.
The NLRB workforce declined during Trump’s first term, even as the private sector workforce grew 120 million In 2016 More than 135 million In 2024. The NLRB did not return a request for comment.
However, union activity declined Strong public support For communities across age, educational and partisan lines. Public approval of trade unions increases from 56% in 2016 to 68% by 2025 Gallup.
Despite being “relentlessly attacked” under the NLRB Trump administration“workers still want unions,” said Aurelia Glass, report author and policy analyst for the Center for American Progress’ American Worker Project.
“There’s still a lot of interest and a lot of momentum behind these campaigns, so I think workers will continue to try to find ways to move forward,” she said.
