Washington, D.C. — Workers and unions are increasingly seeing their allegations of illegal employer conduct dismissed by the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) under the second Trump administration, according to a new analysis from the Center for American Progress. Unfair labor practice charges alleging employers broke federal labor law are substantially more likely to be dismissed than they were before President Donald Trump took office, raising new concerns about workers’ ability to organize and enforce their rights.
From January 1, 2025, through April 29, 2026, the NLRB dismissed 34.7 percent of unfair labor practice charges filed by unions against employers, 14.2 percentage points more than in 2024. Workers filing charges against employers also saw dismissal rates increase by 10.7 percentage points over the same period. Labor advocates say staffing shortages and procedural changes at the agency have made it easier for cases to be thrown out.
“There is a clear shift in how the National Labor Relations Board is handling allegations under appointees from the Trump administration,” said Aurelia Glass, policy analyst for the American Worker Project at CAP and author of the analysis. “Workers and unions are significantly more likely to see unfair labor practice charges against employers dismissed than they were in 2024. When workers report being threatened, retaliated against, or fired for exercising their rights, weaker enforcement makes it easier for employers to break the law and harder for workers to exercise their right to organize.”
The Trump administration has pursued a broader effort to weaken the NLRB, including firing pro-worker leadership, leaving the board without a quorum for much of 2025, letting staffing levels deteriorate, and adopting new procedures that labor attorneys say have made it easier to dismiss cases before they receive a full investigation.
Key findings include:
- Union-filed charges against employers are far more likely to be dismissed. The NLRB dismissed 34.7 percent of unfair labor practice charges filed by unions against employers from January 1, 2025 through April 29, 2026, 14.2 percentage points higher than in 2024.
- Workers are also seeing more of their cases thrown out. Workers filing unfair labor practice charges against employers were 10.7 percentage points more likely to have their cases dismissed than in 2024.
- Staffing shortages and new procedures have made enforcement more difficult. More than 10 percent of NLRB staff left during 2025. Yet the agency only hired eight new workers while more than 150 departed last year.
- Workers already face widespread illegal anti-union activity. Previous research found employers are charged with violating federal labor law in 41.5 percent of union election campaigns, underscoring the importance of strong labor law enforcement.
Read the full analysis: “The NLRB Is Throwing Out Charges Alleging Employers Engaged in Unfair Labor Practices” by Aurelia Glass
For more information on this topic or to speak with an expert, please contact Christian Unkenholz at [email protected].