The U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments Monday (December 8th) in Trump v. Slaughter, a case that will determine the President's authority to remove heads of independent Federal Agencies - and could overturn a 90-year-old precedent that protects some officials from termination without cause. The case stems from President Donald Trump's attempt to fire Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Member Rebecca Kelly Slaughter. The FTC is the same agency at the center of a 1935 Supreme Court ruling known as Humphrey's Executor, which limited the President's ability to remove Agency Leaders without just cause. This allows Federal bodies like the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) and the Federal Labor Relations Authority (FLRA) to conduct important duties like enforcing Labor Rights, overseeing Union Elections and more - even when these critical functions are at odds with the Executive Branch. “Because the President has an interest in the outcome of Federal Sector Labor disputes,” the National AFL-CIO wrote in an amicus brief filed in November, “it would raise constitutional concerns if he could handpick his preferred Labor Relations Adjudicators to affect the outcome of particular cases.”

For More On This Labor News Report, Go To: LISTEN: Supreme Court hears Trump v. Slaughter, seems likely to back Trump’s power to fire independent agency board members | PBS News

National AFL-CIO-Provided Photo.