Obama Picks Union Lawyers for Merit Systems Board

The Obama administration has tapped two union lawyers for the Merit Systems Protection Board.

Susan Grundmann is nominated for chairperson. She is general counsel to the National Federation of Federal Employees, which represents 100,000 federal workers. She was previously general counsel to the National Air Traffic Controllers Association. Her JD is from the Georgetown University Law Center.

Anne Wagner is nominated for vice chairperson. She is general counsel to the Personnel Appeals Board of the Government Accountability Office. She was previously a lawyer for the American Federation of Government Employees. Her JD is from the George Washington University School of Law.

The positions require Senate confirmation.

The Merit Systems Protection Board is an independent quasi-judicial agency established to protect Federal merit systems against partisan political and other prohibited personnel practices and to ensure adequate protection for federal employees against abuses by agency management.