The National Labor Relations Board welcomes David M. Prouty as a new Board member. Mr. Prouty was sworn in on Saturday, August 28, 2021, by Chairman Lauren McFerran.
Mr. Prouty was nominated by President Biden on June 23, 2021 and confirmed by the Senate on July 28, 2021. His term will expire on August 27, 2026. The Board has five members and acts as a quasi-judicial body responsible for administering the National Labor Relations Act consistent with its statutory goals, which include promoting collective bargaining and protecting workers’ rights to freely express their wishes regarding union representation and take other concerted action for their mutual aid and protection.
“I’m delighted to welcome David Prouty to the National Labor Relations Board. David has represented so many different types of workers in so many different settings, dedicating his career to ensuring that all workers are treated with basic dignity and respect on the job, whoever they are and whatever they do for a living. I know he will be a wonderful colleague to work with, and a fantastic addition to the agency,” said Chairman McFerran.
“I’m honored to begin my term as an NLRB Board member,” said Member Prouty. “Throughout my career, I’ve advocated for a variety of workers—from clothing and textile workers, to baseball players, to property service workers—who have joined together to improve their workplaces. I am a firm believer in the rights the NLRA affords workers, and as a member I will diligently uphold the Act.”
Most recently, Member Prouty served as General Counsel of Service Employee International Union (SEIU) Local 32BJ, the largest labor union for property service workers in the country with over 175,000 members. He served as General Counsel of the Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA) from 2013 – 2017 and as Chief Labor Counsel of the MLBPA from 2008 – 2013. Prior to June 2008, Member Prouty was General Counsel of UNITE HERE, and was General Counsel of UNITE from 2001 – 2004. Before serving as General Counsel of UNITE and UNITE HERE, Member Prouty was Southern Regional Counsel for UNITE and its predecessor union, the Amalgamated Clothing and Textile Workers Union (ACTWU), for fifteen years. He received his AB magna cum laude from Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine in 1980; worked as a researcher and organizer for the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) from 1980 to 1983; and received his JD cum laude from Harvard Law School in 1986.
