Catherwood LibraryILR School

State lawmakers in New York, California, and Massachusetts are pushing bills that would let them step in on private-sector labor disputes while the federal labor board remains stalled. NLRB Acting General Counsel William Cowen warned the measures are likely invalid, arguing federal law gives the agency exclusive jurisdiction over such cases. Supporters of the state efforts say they are needed to protect workers’ rights as hundreds of cases sit unresolved after Donald Trump’s removals of key board members left the agency without a quorum. The dispute highlights a growing clash over how to safeguard labor protections when federal institutions are paralyzed.