NLRB General Counsel Touts Casehandling First Approach, Informs Field About Further Priorities

Today, General Counsel Crystal S. Carey released GC Memorandum 26-04, which provides further guidance about her key enforcement and legal policy priorities.

In the memo, General Counsel Carey touts the progress made under her leadership in reducing the historic backlog of aged cases. Elaborating on the memo and her tenure, Carey said: “Under my leadership, we have begun to institute what I hope will be a permanent shift back to the fundamentals, returning to the best periods in our Agency’s history where parties receive prompt resolution of their charges, and the focus is on effectuating the Act in the neutral manner in which it was meant to be.” 

The General Counsel explains her positions challenging recent Board precedents and provides direct guidance to filings that demonstrate her views in greater detail. She also highlights controversial decisions that she hopes, in the future, to argue against before the Board. 

Notably, this memorandum does not mandate submission of any case categories to the Division of Advice. It is the hope of the General Counsel that by presenting her positions clearly, the Regions can better effectuate the National Labor Relations Act without making timely case processing unrealistic. 

As casehandling improvements and reduction of the historic case backlog continues, the General Counsel may issue further memoranda and updates to inform Agency staff of priorities and provide clarity to stakeholders.

You can read GC 26-04 here.