Employment & Labor Insider

Marvin Kaplan is chairman of National Labor Relations Board. President Trump appointed Mr. Kaplan to become chairman, replacing Philip Miscimarra, who left the Board when his term expired earlier in December. The Board still has a 2-2 tie of Democrats (Mark Gaston Pearce and Lauren McFerran) and Republicans (Chairman Kaplan and William Emanuel). Politico's Morning Shift reported this morning that John Ring, who is expected to be the President's nominee to fill the vacancy left by Mr. Miscimarra, is undergoing his background check as we speak.

Trump has to go back to the drawing board with some Labor nominees. Bloomberg BNA's Daily Labor Report says that the President will have to re-nominate Patrick Pizzella to be deputy secretary of the U.S. Department of Labor, Cheryl Stanton for Wage and Hour Administrator, Scott Mugno for DOL Assistant Secretary, Occupational Safety and Health Administration, and William Beach as Commissioner for the Board of Labor Statistics. The re-nominations are necessary because these individuals were not confirmed by the Senate by the close of its last session. Senate Democrats have agreed to waive the renomination process with Janet Dhillon, nominated to be Chair of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and EEOC Commissioner nominees Daniel Gade and Chai Feldblum (second term).

Yippee! Eighteen states and a bunch of cities have minimum wage increases that took effect on New Year's Day or will take effect later this year. CNN Money has a detailed breakdown. Don't spend it all in one place! The federal minimum wage is still $7.25 an hour.