There are two types of “independents” who presently caucus with Senate Democrats: those who are basically Democrats, in all but name, and those who are barely not Republicans. On Wednesday, Sens. Joe Manchin, I-W.V., and Kyrsten Sinema, I-Ariz., offered a clear reminder of which category they fall into, serving as the two “no” votes that killed the possibility of a pro-union majority helming the National Labor Relations Board through 2026.
Lauren McFerran is one of three Democrats who currently serves on the five-member NLRB, which under President Joe Biden has functioned as an ally of organized labor and foe of corporate overreach. Under McFerran, the board’s chair, the NLRB has voted to ban severance agreements and bar employers from holding mandatory anti-union propaganda sessions.
