April 10, 2025 | Oakland, CA — California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced Thursday that he has joined 23 other attorneys general in filing an amicus brief in support of National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) Member Gwynne Wilcox, who is fighting President Donald Trump’s attempted removal of her from the board.
The brief, filed in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, urges the court to uphold a lower court ruling that declared Wilcox’s removal “blatantly illegal” and reaffirmed her full membership on the NLRB.
“Time and again, we are seeing the President’s continuous attempt to trample on workers’ rights,” said Attorney General Bonta. “My fellow attorneys general and I remain unwavering in our commitment to stand against the President’s unlawful removal of Member Wilcox from NLRB.”
“The National Labor Relations Board helps to ensure that workers in Illinois and across the country are afforded the rights they are entitled to under federal law,” Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul said. “Removing the board’s ability to function creates a regulatory vacuum that would undermine workers’ rights and prevent the NLRB from ensuring stable labor relations. I stand with my fellow attorneys general in asking the court to allow this independent body to continue its crucial work on behalf of American workers.”
Wilcox’s legal battle began after the Trump administration attempted to remove her without the legally required cause and due process. NLRB members are appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate to serve staggered five-year terms. Under federal law, they cannot be removed except for “neglect of duty or malfeasance in office,” and only after notice and a hearing.
The NLRB plays a critical role in safeguarding labor rights, from overseeing union elections to investigating unfair labor practices. In the past decade alone, it has reviewed nearly 3,000 such cases. The coalition of attorneys general argues that allowing the Trump administration’s removal to stand would leave the NLRB vulnerable to political interference and threaten workers’ longstanding rights to union representation and collective bargaining.
In addition to California, the amicus brief was joined by attorneys general from Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, and Wisconsin.
