The last Republican appointee to the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) left for good last weekend after his two-year term was up, leaving only Democrats in charge.

GOP attorney Brian Hayes’ departure followed the resignation of Republican Terence Flynn, who stepped down in May after he got caught leaking NLRB documents to allies working on Mitt Romney’s presidential campaign.

The NLRB now has three board members, all Democrats, which is enough for a quorum.

Republicans have grown to despise the NLRB, claiming it has turned itself into an advocate for labor unions. This is actually not that surprising considering that the NLRB since that was its purpose when it was created in 1935. Since the presidency of Ronald Reagan, whenever Republicans have occupied the White House, they have appointed NLRB members who leaned more towards the employers than towards the employees.

Recently, Republicans were especially unhappy with the board’s ruling against Boeing, which was found to have committed unfair labor practices for moving its manufacturing operations from Washington state to South Carolina.

President Barack Obama also upset GOP lawmakers with his recess appointments to the NLRB, a move deemed illegal by Republicans.

The terms of the three remaining board members expire next year, which could result in more partisan fireworks over the NLRB if Obama selects new appointees.

-Noel Brinkerhoff, David Wallechinsky

To Learn More:

Only Democrats Are Left On Labor Relations Board (by Charles S. Clark, Government Executive)

Labor Relations Board Member Resigns, Under Investigation (by David Wallechinsky and Noel Brinkerhoff, AllGov)