AFL-CIO head says Walsh will be ‘exceptional’ Labor secretary

The president of the AFL-CIO, the nation’s largest federation of unions, praised President-elect Joe Biden’s nomination of Boston Mayor Marty Walsh (D) for secretary of Labor, calling the mayor an “exceptional” choice.

“Boston Mayor Marty Walsh will be an exceptional Labor secretary for the same reason he was an outstanding mayor: he carried the tools. As a longtime union member, Walsh knows that collective bargaining is essential to building back better by combating inequality, beating COVID-19 and expanding opportunities for immigrants, women and people of color,” Richard Trumka said in a statement Thursday.

“He will have the ear of the White House, the Cabinet and Congress as we work to increase union density and create a stronger, fairer America,” he added.

“With Joe Biden and Marty Walsh, we are setting our sights high, starting with passage of the PRO Act so the tens of millions of workers who want to form a union can do so freely and fairly,” Trumka added, referencing legislation that would strengthen workers’ protections to unionize.

Walsh joined the AFL-CIO-affiliated Laborers Local 223 in his 20s and served as head of the Boston Building Trades from 2011 until 2013 when he resigned to run for mayor.

The mayor was reported earlier Wednesday to be Biden’s choice for the role, one of a final round of Cabinet secretary nominations that also included Judge Merrick Garland as attorney general and Rhode Island Gov. Gina Raimondo (D) as Commerce Secretary.

They were among the first nominations announced by the Biden team since two Democratic victories in the Georgia Senate runoffs confirmed he will have a Democratic Senate majority.