Trump Selects Union-Friendly Republican for Labor Secretary
President-elect Donald Trump has nominated Oregon Representative Lori Chavez-DeRemer as the Secretary of Labor, drawing praise for choosing a Republican with union backing. Chavez-DeRemer, who joined Congress in 2023 and recently lost her reelection bid to Democrat Janelle Bynum, is recognized for her pro-union stance.
Chavez-DeRemer’s 2024 campaign received endorsements from several unions, notably the International Brotherhood of Teamsters and the Association of Flight Attendants. She stands out among her Republican peers for supporting the PRO Act, legislation designed to enhance workers’ rights to unionize and engage in collective bargaining.
Teamsters President Sean O’Brien expressed approval of Chavez-DeRemer’s nomination, stating she is “the exact type of champion for the American worker that Republicans should get behind if they are serious about becoming the working-class party.”
However, Chavez-DeRemer’s pro-union perspective contrasts with many in the Trump administration, where some cabinet members and advisors have records opposing workers’ rights. Vice President-elect J.D. Vance, for instance, holds a 0% rating from the AFL-CIO, reflecting his voting record on worker-related issues since his Senate tenure began in 2023.
Vance and Senator Marco Rubio of Florida, nominated as Secretary of State, co-authored the TEAM Act, which proposes employer-led workplace committees as an alternative to unionization. This act would necessitate relaxing federal rules on collective bargaining, though it has not become law. The Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025, a policy framework for Trump’s potential second term, suggests revisiting this legislation.
Project 2025’s principal author, Russ Vought, has been chosen by Trump to lead the Office of Management and Budget, while Brendan Carr, another contributor, is set to chair the Federal Communications Commission. Former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi, nominated for the Department of Justice, has backed right-to-work laws, which critics argue weaken union power and degrade working conditions.
Bondi’s history includes opposing a National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) complaint against Boeing in 2011, where the NLRB accused Boeing of relocating operations to right-to-work states to avoid union influence.
New York Representative Elise Stefanik, nominated as Ambassador to the United Nations, and Florida Representative Michael Waltz, incoming national security adviser, both co-sponsored the National Right-to-Work Act, which is yet to be voted on in the House.
Elon Musk, a billionaire unofficial adviser to Trump, has also voiced anti-union sentiments. In 2018, he warned Tesla workers about losing stock options if they unionized. More recently, SpaceX faced an NLRB complaint after firing employees who criticized Musk, leading to SpaceX joining a lawsuit challenging the NLRB’s constitutionality.
Musk, addressing unions at a New York Times event, said, “I disagree with the idea of unions … I just don’t like anything which creates a lords and peasants sort of thing.”
Despite some union endorsements for Chavez-DeRemer, support was not unanimous; Janelle Bynum’s campaign had backing from AFSME, AFL-CIO, SIEU, and the United Auto Workers.
The Trump transition team did not provide comments for this article.
—
Read More Kitchen Table News
