President Obama has nominated Republican Terence Flynn to serve as a member of the National Labor Relations Board, bringing the labor panel to a full complement of five members.

He also nominated Lafe Solomon, a Democrat, to serve as general counsel.

Both will need Senate confirmation.

The NLRB has begun to work through the backlog of cases that built up over the 27-month period between January 2008 and April 2010 when there were only two members—Democrat and Chairman Wilma Liebman, and Republican Peter Schaumber--sitting on the board. Schaumber’s term expired at the end of August. 

During that time, the two-member panel shied away from hot-button cases. Since three additional members joined the NLRB in the spring and early summer this year--Brian Hayes, a Republican; Mark Pearce, a Democrat; and recess appointee Craig Becker, a Democrat--the panel has been more willing to tackle more controversial cases, most notably a union bannering case in September. In that case, the board upheld the right of union members to post stationary union banners on a secondary employer’s worksite.

Flynn is currently serving as chief counsel to Hayes, and previously served as chief counsel to former board member Schaumber. Solomon is currently serving as acting general counsel and is a career attorney with the NLRB, having worked for the board in some capacity since 1972.

The current roster of  members is:

Chairman Wilma Liebman (D-term expires August 2011)

Mark Pearce (D-term expires August 2013)

Craig Becker (D-term expires end of 2011)

Brian Hayes (R-term expires December 2012)

To be confirmed:  Terrence Flynn (R)

General Counsel:  Lafe Solomon