USW Supports Mayor Marty Walsh for Secretary of Labor

The union today supported Mayor Marty Walsh for Secretary of Labor.

USW International President Tom Conway wrote to the U.S. Senate, "having devoted countless hours to strengthening workers’ rights in Massachusetts, our union is confident in Mayor Walsh’s ability to address the devastating rollback of worker protections that occurred during the previous administration. We are confident that Mayor Walsh will work to address the failings of the Department of Labor over the past four years, including its failure to protect all workers on the front lines of the COVID-19 crisis, to ensure workers are correctly classified, and to ensure that workers receive the overtime pay they deserve."

Here is the full text of the letter, which can be downloaded for printing here:

Via Email

February 4, 2021

U.S. Senate Washington, D.C. 20515

Dear Senator:

On behalf of the 850,000 members of the United Steel, Paper and Forestry, Rubber, Manufacturing, Energy, Allied Industrial and Service Workers International Union (USW) and working people everywhere, I write in strong support of the nomination of Mayor Marty Walsh to serve as the Secretary of Labor. 

As a longtime union member and former leader of the Boston Building and Construction Trades Council, Mayor Walsh understands the value of a hard day’s work and a collectively bargained contract. He is committed to workers’ rights, including the right to organize, and he will undoubtedly use the office of Labor Secretary to continue fighting on behalf of all working people. He has long prioritized workers and their families, and our union has complete confidence in Mayor Walsh’s ability to restore the Department of Labor’s mission of protecting the welfare of wage earners, job seekers, and retirees. 

During his confirmation hearing on February 4, 2021, Mayor Walsh talked about his family’s union experience, “The union was our way into the middle class. It meant a fair wage, so we could have a home, and give back to our community. It meant safety on the job, so we didn’t have to live in fear of an accident derailing our lives. It meant a pension, so my parents could retire with dignity. And it meant health insurance.” It is this background, this understanding of a what a union means to workers, that gives USW complete confidence in Mayor Walsh’s nomination as the head of the Department of Labor. 

Having devoted countless hours to strengthening workers’ rights in Massachusetts, our union is confident in Mayor Walsh’s ability to address the devastating rollback of worker protections that occurred during the previous administration. We are confident that Mayor Walsh will work to address the failings of the Department of Labor over the past four years, including its failure to protect all workers on the front lines of the COVID-19 crisis, to ensure workers are correctly classified, and to ensure that workers receive the overtime pay they deserve. We are confident that Mayor Walsh will fully enforce America’s most important federal labor laws and help ensure that American job seekers have the resources they need to return to the dignity of work. 

Under Mayor Walsh’s direction, we look forward to the Department of Labor taking a more active role in addressing the needs of workers during the ongoing COVID-19 crisis and beyond. From investigating worker complaints under the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA), to ensuring workers receive the wages they have rightfully earned under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), and to protecting workers’ retirement under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA), we are confident that Mayor Walsh can and will safeguard the health and wellbeing of American workers and retirees. As the person responsible for enforcing international labor standards and combating child labor, forced labor, and human trafficking through the Bureau of International Labor Affairs (ILAB), USW trusts Mayor Walsh to address these issues and get the job done. 

American workers deserve a Secretary of Labor that will protect their rights and fully enforce the law. We urge you to confirm Mayor Marty Walsh as the new Secretary of Labor. 

Sincerely,

Thomas Conway International President

Press Inquiries

Media Contacts

Communications Director:
Jess Kamm at 412-562-2446

USW@WORK (USW magazine)
Editor R.J. Hufnagel

For industry specific inquiries,
Call USW Communications at 412-562-2442

Mailing Address

United Steelworkers
Communications Department
60 Blvd. of the Allies
Pittsburgh, PA 15222