Luján Votes to Confirm Mayor Marty Walsh as Labor Secretary

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) issued the following statement after voting to confirm Boston Mayor Marty Walsh as Labor Secretary:

“The Department of Labor will play a crucial role in America’s effort to recover and rebuild from this pandemic, which has left millions of Americans out of a job through no fault of their own. The next Labor Secretary must prioritize protecting our workers, expanding apprenticeships and training programs, and upholding labor protections like the minimum wage, collective bargaining, and paid leave. He must also strengthen the Department’s outreach to and claims processing for New Mexico’s energy workers who were exposed to radiation on the job – a long overdue effort.

“As a former union leader and mayor, Marty Walsh has a track record of strengthening labor protections and bolstering good-paying union jobs and training opportunities. I look forward working with him as Labor Secretary to stand up for workers, to ensure that struggling Americans have access to the benefits that they’ve paid into, and to strengthen the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program for New Mexico workers.”

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