TalentObituaries

Labor Arbiter is Dead at 89

John C. Truesdale

TRUESDALE

, a Democratic former chairman of the National Labor Relations Board and five-term veteran, died on July 3 from cancer in Annapolis, Md., said the board. He was 89. Truesdale served under recess appointments by Presidents Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton, retired once, and then served again as chairman in 2001 at age 80. In 1995, he upheld an NLRB administrative ruling that the carpenters' union could not fire 10 independent union group members for “disloyalty” during a 1991 organizing drive. He and two other board members ordered Sigurd Lucassen, then union president, to re-instate and compensate those terminated, ruling that their campaign was “subverted”.

As ENR's former Washington Bureau Chief, Tom Ichniowski wrote about the federal government since the George H.W. Bush administration, and covered at least five major highway bills. A recognized expert on government policy on infrastructure and regulation, Tom is also a Baltimore native and Orioles fan who grew up rooting for Brooks and Frank Robinson. He is a graduate of Columbia College and Columbia’s graduate school of journalism, where he once used “unrelentless” in a headline.

Post a comment to this article

Join Groundbreaking Women in Construction (GWIC) in San Diego from June 14 to 16, 2026. This premier leadership conference brings together women across the construction industry to gain practical strategies, grow their network, and advance their careers. Learn from ENR-curated sessions, connect with trailblazing professionals, and walk away with tools that drive retention, innovation, and impact.

Live: June 23, 2026 at 2:00 pm EDT New market dynamics like competitive pressures and workforce evolutions are forcing construction companies to re-prioritize their investments. To strengthen cash flow, accelerate operations, and boost profits, learn how the focus now must be on optimizing digital transformation and financial management.