Susan Tsui Grundmann
Susan Tsui Grundmann | |
|---|---|
| Chair of the Federal Labor Relations Authority | |
| In office January 3, 2023 – February 11, 2025 | |
| President | Joe Biden Donald Trump |
| Preceded by | Ernest W. DuBester |
| Succeeded by | Colleen Kiko |
| Member of the Federal Labor Relations Authority | |
| In office May 17, 2022 – February 11, 2025 | |
| President | Joe Biden Donald Trump |
| Preceded by | James T. Abbott |
| Succeeded by | Vacant |
| Chair of the Merit Systems Protection Board | |
| In office November 12, 2009 – January 7, 2017 | |
| President | Barack Obama |
| Preceded by | Neil McPhie |
| Succeeded by | Cathy Harris |
| Member of the Merit Systems Protection Board | |
| In office November 12, 2009 – January 7, 2017 | |
| President | Barack Obama |
| Preceded by | Neil McPhie |
| Succeeded by | Tristan Leavitt |
| Personal details | |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Education | American University (BA) Georgetown University (JD) |
Susan Tsui Grundmann is an American attorney and a member of the Federal Labor Relations Authority, serving as the authority's chair from 2023 to 2025.
Early life
Grundmann received a bachelor's degree at American University. She received her JD from the Georgetown University Law Center.[1]
Career
She was a law clerk for the 19th Judicial Circuit in Virginia.[1]
She worked at the Sheet Metal Workers’ National Pension Fund.[1] Grundmann served as General Counsel to the National Air Traffic Controllers Association.[1] She taught law at the William W. Winpisinger Education and Technology Center from 2003-2009.[1] Grundmann was general counsel for the National Federation of Federal Employees.
From 2009 until 2017, Grundmann served as the chairwoman of the Merit Systems Protection Board.[2] She had been confirmed by voice vote.[3]
Until nominated to the Federal Labor Relations Authority, Grundmann served as the executive director and Chief Operating Officer of the US Congress Office of Congressional Workplace Rights, formerly known as the Office of Compliance.[1][4][5] In that role, she had testified before the US Congress.[6] A major issue under her office's purview is dealing with sexual harassment in the Legislative Branch.[7]
On March 30, 2022, the US Senate agreed to bring the debate to a close on her nomination to the Federal Labor Relations Authority.[8] On May 12, 2022, the U.S. Senate voted 50-49 to confirm Grundmann's nomination.[9]
On February 11, 2025, The Guardian reported that Grundmann had been dismissed by President Trump.[10] According to federal law, FLRA members can only be fired for "inefficiency, neglect of duty or malfeasance in office".[11] Government Executive reported that Grundman had sent an email to agency staff notifying them of her dismissal and had not said whether she would challenge the decision.[11] On March 12, Judge Sparkle L. Sooknanan of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia ruled that Grundmann's firing was improper and reinstated her to the board.[12] On June 18, 2025, the decision was temporarily stayed by a panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.[13] In early July, an appeal court argued for the removal of Tsui Grundmann, based on recent Supreme Court decisions.[14]
References
- ^ a b c d e f "President Biden Announces Intent to Nominate Susan Tsui Grundmann to be Member of the FLRA". Retrieved 2022-04-02. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
- ^ "Biden Nominates Ex-Merit Systems Protection Board Chair for Labor Authority". 2021-08-05. Retrieved 2022-04-02.
- ^ "Biden picks 2 officials for federal labor office with a case backlog". 2021-08-05. Retrieved 2022-04-02.
- ^ "And Now a Word From … Susan Tsui Grundmann". 2019-03-19. Retrieved 2022-04-02.
- ^ "Congressional rights office announces interim head amid privacy reform effort". Federal Times. 2021-11-10. Retrieved 2022-04-02.
- ^ "Comment period underway on paid family leave policies for Capitol Hill workers". Roll Call. 2020-12-02. Retrieved 2022-04-02.
- ^ "Congressional staffers flocking to sexual harassment training". USA Today. 2017-12-09. Retrieved 2022-04-02.
- ^ @SenateFloor (2022-03-30). "51-47, Senate agreed to bring debate to a close on the nomination of Susan Tsui Grundmann to be a Member of the Fed…" (Tweet). Retrieved 2022-04-02 – via Twitter.
- ^ @SenateCloakroom (12 May 2022). "Confirmed, 50-49: Confirmation of Executive Calendar #718 Susan Tsui Grundmann to be a Member of the Federal Labor…" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- ^ Michael Sainato (11 February 2025). "Trump continues clearout of top US labor officials with fresh firing". The Guardian. Retrieved 11 February 2025.
- ^ a b Erich Wagner (11 February 2025). "Trump apparently fires FLRA chairwoman". Government Executive. Retrieved 12 February 2025.
- ^ Daniel Wiessner; Jack Queen (12 March 2025). "US judge says Trump cannot fire Democratic member of federal labor board". Reuters. Retrieved 26 April 2025.
- ^ Ian Kullgren (18 June 2025). "D.C. Circuit Temporarily Pauses Return of Fired FLRA Member". Bloomberg Law. Retrieved 1 July 2025.
- ^ Montague, Zach (2025-07-03). "Appeals Court Lets Trump Remove Another Democrat From Independent Agency". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2025-07-06.
External links
- Appearances on C-SPAN
- Tom Fox, "Susan Grundmann on protecting merit systems in the federal government," Washington Post, September 8, 2011.