The NLRB in the Dog House--Can an Old Board Learn New Tricks

This Article examines the performance of the NLRB in light of the fiftieth anniversary of the National Labor Relations Act. The author argues that the Board has failed to carry out its statutory mandate, specifically criticizing the Board's record of enforcement of core employee protection provisions. The author demonstrates that the Act's unambiguous statement of policy, encouraging free collective bargaining and employee organizational rights, still governs. The author concludes by urging the Board to invoke its statutory authority and makes specific recommendations for non-legislative procedural reform of the NLRB, arguing that such reform would revitalize the Board and vindicate the policies embodied in the Act.