WITH ‘DOGE’ LISTING BUFFALO NATIONAL LABOR RELATIONS BOARD OFFICE ON THE CHOPPING BLOCK AND UNCERTAINTY FOR WHAT’S NEXT, SCHUMER DEMANDS ANSWERS TO PROTECT WESTERN NEW YORK WORKERS & UNIONS’ LABOR RIGHTS
Last Week, Staff At Buffalo’s NLRB Office Found Out The Trump Admin & ‘DOGE’ Had Listed The Termination Of Their Office Causing Chaos; Staff Who Were Previously Told They Must Vacate Now Don’t Know What The Future Of The Office Is Or Where It Will Be
Buffalo’s NLRB Covers All Of Upstate NY And Its Presence Locally Has Been Essential To Protecting Workers & Unions; Senator Says NLRB Staff Can’t Be Kept In The Dark And We Need Answers And Assurances This Office Will Be Kept In Buffalo
Schumer: We Can’t Have ‘DOGE’ Move Worker and Union Protections Out Of Buffalo; We Need Answers Now
Amid chaos and uncertainty after ‘DOGE’ listed Buffalo’s National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) local office on the chopping block, U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer demanded answers on rumors of the potential closure or relocation for these vital services for Western NY workers and unions who rely on this office for protecting fairness in the in the workplace and labor rights. Schumer said that the NLRB has been essential to allowing workers to come together collectively to improve their pay and working conditions, and to address unfair labor practices.
“Buffalo is a hard-working, union town, and that is why the city is proud to be home to one of the NLRB’s local offices. The Buffalo NLRB office plays a crucial role in protecting workers’ rights across Upstate NY. When workers are trying to form a union or protect themselves from unfair labor practices in the workplace, this is the place they go for support to exercise their rights. The shoot-first DOGE brigade has already listed it on the chopping block, and workers have little clarity on what the future holds – so we need answers now,” said Senator Schumer. “We need to ensure the NLRB can continue its vital work protecting labor rights in Buffalo and across Upstate New York.”
Senator Schumer’s letter to the NLRB’s acting General Counsel William B. Cowen can be found here.
Schumer said last week, staff at the Buffalo’s NLRB office were sent into a tailspin when they found out that their office lease was listed for termination on the DOGE website and they were told they had 90 days to vacate, with no plan for what is next. Now staff have received multiple reports of conflicting information on what this means for the future of the office, their staff, and where they will actually do their jobs going forward in serving and supporting workers across Upstate NY.
In his letter, Schumer states that: “(T)he NLRB staff in Buffalo have received conflicting information and no clarity from NLRB as to what this means for where they will actually do their jobs going forward in serving and supporting workers across Upstate NY. Compounding the chaos, this potential office closure comes after the unprecedented and illegal firing of NLRB Member Gwynne Wilcox and the negative impact this will have on working people across New York and the country. I want answers on your plans for the NLRB presence in Buffalo and its service to workers across Upstate NY, and request that the NLRB keep an office open in Buffalo to support the region’s workers.”
The NLRB office in Buffalo is one of only two offices in all of Upstate NY. Schumer said that many local union members fear DOGE will use this process to quietly close the office or move it far away, hurting staff from the local office and workers in Western NY. Schumer said that cannot happen and any effort to hamstring the operation or move it out of Buffalo could weaken labor rights protections for our unions and workers in Buffalo and across Upstate New York.
“Shutting down NLRB offices—whether in Buffalo or anywhere in the country is an attack on working people and their fundamental rights. At a time when corporations are brazenly violating labor laws, we need a stronger, more accessible NLRB, not one that is being quietly dismantled. This isn’t just about Buffalo, it’s about protecting workers across the nation from exploitation and ensuring they have the resources to fight for fair wages, safe workplaces, and union rights. We demand full transparency and an unwavering commitment to a fully funded, fully staffed NLRB presence in every region,” said Peter DeJesus Jr, President, Western New York Area Labor Federation, AFL-CIO.
“Another decision that makes things worse, not better for families. This is a clear example of the lack of respect this administration has for working men and women and a further attempt to silence their voices. This will make it easier to violate the law and trample on workers’ legal rights on the job and the fundamental freedom to organize. While collective bargaining works to lift families towards the American Dream, this will take away workers' rights and return us to a Gilded Age where only the wealthiest could be successful. We appreciate Senator Schumer once again standing up for the working men and women of this country,” said Joe Cantafio, NYSUT Western New York Regional Staff Director.
“The Buffalo Central Labor Council is disappointed to hear of the proposal to shutter the NLRB office in Buffalo, NY and similar office around the country. The NLRB office in Buffalo, known for its investigating and certifying the historic first Starbucks Unionization case, is an office that protects all workers rights for dignity and equality in the workplace. Shuttering this office is equivalent to shuttering all workers right to organize, protecting their dignity in the workplace and keeping employers from exploding employee’s labor and exploiting labor agreements in the name of corporate greed,” said Jimmy Lakeman, VP Buffalo Central Labor Council.
Senator Schumer’s letter to the NLRB’s acting General Counsel William B. Cowen can be found here and below:
Dear Mr. Cowen,
I write with deep concern about the potential closure of the National Labor Relations Board’s (NLRB) local office in Buffalo, NY that serves Region 3 of NLRB. Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) have listed on their website the termination of NLRB’s lease of an office space in Buffalo. However, the NLRB staff in Buffalo have received conflicting information and no clarity from you as to what this means for where they will actually do their jobs going forward in serving and supporting workers across Upstate NY. Compounding the chaos, this potential office closure comes after the unprecedented and illegal firing of NLRB Member Gwynne Wilcox and the negative impact this will have on working people across New York and the country. I want answers on your plans for the NLRB presence in Buffalo and its service to workers across Upstate NY, and request that the NLRB keep an office open in Buffalo to support the region’s workers.
The NLRB was created by Congress nearly 90 years ago as an independent, non-partisan federal agency to protect workers nationwide by enforcing the National Labor Relations Act, which guarantees the rights of workers to join together in collective action, including by organizing unions, negotiating contracts, and going on strike. The NLRB has been essential to allowing workers to come together collectively to improve their pay and working conditions, and to address unfair labor practices. NLRB field offices like the one located in Buffalo play an integral role in this work, serving as the front line and front door for workers to receive assistance from the NLRB in protecting their rights under the law. This includes helping workers understand their workplace rights, file charges if they believe their rights have been violated, and file petitions for forming or joining a union. The NLRB is already facing significant understaffing of its field offices, and further cuts to staff as well as closure of locations undermine workers’ rights. Further, historically the NLRB General Counsel has invited public comments on proposals to close or restructure Regional offices to allow the NLRB to fully and thoroughly consider the impact such closures or restructuring may have on internal and external stakeholders. In this case, the public was not notified of any decision, let alone invited to comment on a proposal.
Your plans for the future of the NLRB Buffalo office remain unclear. On one hand, Elon Musk and DOGE are claiming on their website a cost savings by ending the lease for NLRB’s office in Buffalo. On the other hand, a spokesperson for NLRB said at the end of last week that the agency could not confirm whether the lease was being canceled and whether there would still be a Buffalo office. We have also heard from the NLRB’s staff union in Buffalo that the Buffalo workers may move into a smaller office in the same building as their current office, following through on a plan initiated during the Biden Administration, which would mean Musk and DOGE are taking credit for something the Biden Administration actually did. Your field office staff and the hardworking New Yorkers they serve deserve clarity and certainty.
In an effort to cut through this chaos and get answers for New York’s workers, I seek answers on the following:
- Will the current office lease in Buffalo for NLRB Region 3 continue?
- If the current office lease is terminated, will a new lease be negotiated for NLRB Region 3 to continue to have a presence in Buffalo?
- Who is making the decisions on this lease, what are the factors being considered, and what involvement does DOGE have in that process?
- How will this decision affect the processing time for unfair labor practice charges and representation petitions in the region? Please detail your plans to ensure continued access to NLRB services in Western New York.
- How are you evaluating staffing levels in Buffalo and across all NLRB regions to ensure workers have adequate access to the support and resources necessary to uphold their rights under the NLRA?
Upstate New York’s workers and their rights under the law rely on the critical work of the NLRB, including its field offices. You should know that better than anyone. I ask for your prompt answers to my questions above and urge you to maintain the NLRB office in Buffalo and adequately staff it to support and serve Upstate New York’s workers.
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