Washington, D.C. (January 7, 2021) – Terry O’Sullivan, General President of LIUNA – the Laborers’ International Union of North America – made the following statement today:

The 500,000 strong, proud, and united men and women of LIUNA are ecstatic and thrilled that President-elect Joe Biden has chosen a dues-paying, card-carrying, second-generation member of Laborers’ Local Union 223, Boston Mayor Marty Walsh, to be the next U.S. Secretary of Labor. Marty Walsh is a living embodiment of the American dream: he worked his way up from the field to become a leader of his local union, the head of the Boston Metropolitan Building Trades Council, Mayor of Boston, and now, U.S. Secretary of Labor.  He is a hard-charging, hard-fighting, tireless and tenacious working-class warrior whose word is his bond, who says what he means and means what he says, and who can always be counted on to stand with working men and women. Marty never forgets where he came from; he values hard work and those that do it; and he has seen, first hand, the power of the Trade Union Movement to transform lives.

 

As a labor leader and community activist, Marty Walsh helped tens of thousands of workers build strong, middle-class lives for themselves and their families. As Mayor of Boston, Marty Walsh has made his deep roots in the Trade Union Movement a central part of his political career, proudly wearing his union affiliation on his sleeve, and displaying his union card wherever he goes. He has fought for Boston’s working families, made city government more responsive to all those who live and work in Boston, and distinguished himself as one of the hardest-working, most innovative big-city leaders in our nation today.

 

I know that with his dedication and devotion to the cause, the purpose, and the mission of the Labor Movement, Marty Walsh will restore and re-energize the Department of Labor’s role as a powerful guardian of workers, and strong and effective enforcer of labor laws. He will fight for all working people, regardless of where they come from, what language they speak, or what kind of work they do. He will work to bring skills training and a stronger voice on the job to millions of American workers who too often have been disregarded. He is also a leader that has a history of working cooperatively with employers to create middle-class family-supporting jobs.

 

We are awed and inspired that the top labor post in our great country will be occupied by one of our own LIUNA brothers. The choice of Mayor Walsh shows that, when it comes to the agency responsible for enforcing our nation’s labor laws, President-elect Joe Biden not only talks the talk; he truly walks the walk. We congratulate Marty on this appointment, and look forward to working with him, and the Biden administration, in the months and years to come.

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The half-million members of LIUNA – the Laborers’ International Union of North America – are on the forefront of the construction industry, a powerhouse of workers who are proud to build America.