The National Labor Relations Act was passed by Congress in 1935 to protect the rights of employees and employers, to encourage collective bargaining and the private resolution of labor disputes. The National Labor Relations Board (the “NLRB”) was created by Congress with the law as the agency responsible for the law’s administration. And today, for the first time in its history, both Chairman and General Counsel of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) are women, and Member Wilcox is the first African-American woman to serve on the board.
In this webinar, moderated by Cornell Vice President and General Counsel Donica Thomas Varner, you’ll discover how three women rose to leadership positions at the NLRB — the independent federal agency tasked with safeguarding U.S. employees' rights as well as preventing and remedying unfair labor practices. NLRB Chairman Lauren McFerran, General Counsel Jennifer Abruzzo, and Board Member Gwynne Wilcox will discuss the paths to their current roles and how each was motivated to pursue a career in labor relations. Following the discussion, Alexander Colvin, the Kenneth F. Kahn '69 Dean and Martin F. Scheinman Professor of Conflict Resolution at Cornell’s ILR School, will lead a question-and-answer session with the participants.
This is the first of three roundtables featuring women leaders in employment and labor law policy and practice; these discussions are sponsored by a grant from The President’s Council for Cornell Women entitled “See One, Be One: Women Leaders in Labor Law.”
RESOURCES / NEXT STEPSWomen in the Labor Force: Data BookPCCW Fellowship
