WASHINGTON – This week, Acting Secretary Su traveled to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and Columbia, South Carolina, to highlight how the Biden-Harris administration’s pro-worker agenda is making a positive impact in communities across the country.

Acting Secretary Su kicked off the week in Pittsburgh with Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona, where they highlighted the Biden-Harris administration’s investments in worker training and good jobs. The visit began with a tour and roundtable discussion at the Community College of Allegany County’s recently opened Center for Education, Innovation and Training, which was completed using funding from President Biden’s American Rescue Plan to prepare students and workers for jobs created by the administration’s Investing in America agenda. The pair concluded their visit with a tour of the Pittsburgh Job Corps Center and a discussion with students about the importance of equitable pathways to good jobs for young people. 

On Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2024, Acting Secretary Su visited Columbia, South Carolina, to engage in a discussion with workers about their attempts to advocate and organize for better working conditions and increased wages in their industries. She also spotlighted equitable access to training and education opportunities for military families, people formerly involved in the foster care system, formerly incarcerated people, adult learners and other vulnerable communities at Benedict College, a Historically Black College.

Media highlights from the Acting Secretary’s travels include: 

• Pittsburgh Union Progress: ‘We believe in what is happening here’: U.S. education, labor secretaries tour workforce training programs in Pittsburgh (Jan. 31, 2024)

“[T]he Biden administration selected Pittsburgh as one of five workforce hubs because of the collaboration among K-12 schools, higher education institutions, trade unions, the city and other entities. At the Jobs Corps Center later in the afternoon, Su told a crowd largely made up of trade union representatives that the workforce training collaborations that are being developed in Pittsburgh could be implemented around the country.   

“Pittsburgh is a workforce hub – It’s one of five across the country that President [Joe] Biden has named – because we believe in what is happening here,” she said. “We believe that you are all about creating good jobs and opportunities for every community.”

• 90.5 WESA-NPR: U.S. secretaries of labor and education visit Pittsburgh to applaud workforce development (Jan. 31, 2024): 

“This is how we build good jobs at the beginning, that we make sure that unions have a seat at the table,” Su said. “And this is not just a matter of doing what's right for working people, but it's also what could attract a workforce. It's also how you make sure that projects are done on time, on task, on budget and safely.

“Su said Pittsburgh’s workforce development is a “model for the nation.”

• WOLO: Secretary of Labor visits with members from labor unions (Jan. 31, 2024):

“Acting U.S. Secretary of Labor Julie Su in West Columbia today speaking with members from various labor unions. Many shared their concerns advocating for better wages, improved working conditions and fair treatment. South Carolina has the lowest union membership rate.

Secretary Su pointed out that fear of job retaliation might be a significant factor. Highlighting issues like the lack of health and safety protections, gender and racial wage gaps and occupational segregation, Secretary Su emphasized the need for more changes in the workforce.”

• WACH: Biden administration touts the power of unions (Jan. 31, 2024): 

“Labor Secretary Julie Su gathered with several union members and workers to hear the challenges they have and are facing in the workforce. Su let them know how President Biden supports workers and encourages them to unionize.”

WASHINGTON – Acting Secretary of Labor Julie Su issued the following statement in response to the Bureau of Labor Statistics release of its annual Union Membership data:

“The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported an increase in union membership, with 139,000 more union members in 2023 than in 2022, meaning this country has 400,000 more union workers than we had in 2021. The gains under the Biden-Harris administration underscore President Biden’s commitment to being the most pro-worker, pro-union president in history. 

“We have seen large private sector increases in unionization among health care workers, transportation and warehousing workers, and in educational services. These are workers who recognize that they have power and are organizing to use that power. Workers in health care, auto manufacturing, transportation, entertainment and more have delivered big wins at the bargaining table in the past year.

“It is also important to acknowledge that public support for unions is the highest we have seen since the 1960s. More than two thirds of wage and salary workers say they would consider joining a union.

“The President always says that unions built the middle class – and he is right. And it will take unions to re-build the middle class. These increases in union membership are a sign that we are moving in the right direction.  
 
“We know there is a tremendous amount of work still to be done. Unions have been under attack for decades, with unionbusting laws being passed in states across the country.  But multiple states in recent years have rolled back some of these so-called ‘right-to-work' laws, recognizing the damage they can do to worker organizing. We also know that current federal law allows unionbusting to stifle workers exercising their rights, which is why the Biden-Harris administration continues to support passage of the Protecting the Right to Organize Act.

“Our message to America’s workers is simple: we hear you, and we have your back.” 

WASHINGTON – Acting Secretary of Labor Julie Su joined members and leaders of Arriba Las Vegas Workers Center on Wednesday, Jan. 10, 2024, for a roundtable discussion on protections for immigrant workers and their enforcement. The event included a discussion on the department’s process for supporting worker requests for prosecutorial discretion and highlighted examples of successful Department of Labor enforcement efforts. 

The roundtable fell on the one-year anniversary of the department obtaining a consent judgment in federal court requiring Unforgettable Coatings, a Las Vegas paint and specialty coatings contractor who intimidated workers, to pay $3.6 million to 593 employees in four states. Arriba Las Vegas Workers Center assisted the department in contacting workers during that investigation.

Arriba is a recipient of a 2023 Susan Harwood Training Grant from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. These grants are used to support education and training to help workers and employers recognize serious workplace hazards, employ injury prevention and understand workers’ rights and employers’ responsibilities under federal law.

“I want to recognize the important work each of you and Arriba Las Vegas as an organization does. I know that many of you are leaders in your community,” said Acting Secretary of Labor Julie Su. “I also congratulate you on your Susan Harwood grant, which is awarded by the Department of Labor to help community organizations promote occupational health and safety at work.” 

“It is a priority for me and my department that all workers can exercise their rights. The Department of Labor must also do everything within our power to enforce labor laws.” Acting Secretary Su added. “Enforcing labor laws is a tool not only to combat wage theft and protect workers, but also to support them in increasing their power. Let's work together to achieve it.”

Learn more about the U.S. Department of Labor’s investigation of Unforgettable Coatings Inc. 

WASHINGTON – Acting Secretary of Labor Julie Su and Equal Employment Opportunity Commission Chair Charlotte A. Burrows today issued a joint statement to mark the first anniversary of the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act and the Providing Urgent Maternal Protections for Nursing Mothers Act:

“On Dec. 29, 2022, President Biden signed into law much-needed and long overdue workplace protections for pregnant and nursing workers. We celebrate the first anniversary of legislation that so many long fought for to create more equitable workplaces. 

“Failures to accommodate limitations related to pregnancy and nursing have long acted as barriers to equitable workforce participation by women. It’s more apparent than ever that limiting pregnant and nursing workers’ opportunities hurts them and their families and limits the size of our labor force and the strength of our economy. Since these laws have been in effect, we have already seen that the PWFA and the PUMP Act are helping support the health and economic security of pregnant, postpartum, and nursing workers and their families nationwide.

“The PWFA is a tremendous step forward for families because it gives pregnant workers access to reasonable accommodations, allowing them to keep doing their jobs free from discrimination and retaliation. This law enables workers with limitations related to pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions to obtain changes at work that could help them stay employed and healthy during pregnancy and while they recover from childbirth, when doing so  would not pose an undue hardship for the employer. These accommodations can be as simple as more frequent bathroom breaks or modifications to no-food policies. The law protects part-time, temporary and seasonal workers as well as full-time employees in all industries.

“The PUMP Act extends the right to break time and a private place to pump at work to millions more nursing workers and provides remedies for nursing workers whose rights have been violated. Before the PUMP Act, millions of workers had to choose either not to pump or to continue pumping and face possible discrimination, harassment or job loss as a result. The protections the PUMP Act enshrined into law will continue to empower new parents to express milk at work, providing greater peace of mind and reducing potential economic, mental health and physical consequences for nursing workers.

“Our agencies have been busy working together to make referrals, coordinate investigations, cross train federal personnel and  educate workers about their new rights and employers about their responsibilities under the new laws. Together, we have developed a series on maternal health to share information about the protections provided by both laws and a new “Know Your Rights” resource outlining key federal workplace protections for pregnant, postpartum and pumping workers. The Department of Labor has launched an industry-specific webinar series on the PUMP Act, and the EEOC provides a host of resources related to the PWFA.

“We look forward to continuing to educate workers, employers, and our partners throughout the country on these laws and the protections they provide.”

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Acting Secretary of Labor Julie Su issued the following statement on the December 2023 Employment Situation report: 

“Today, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that the American economy added 216,000 jobs in December, and the unemployment rate held steady at 3.7 percent, continuing the longest stretch of unemployment below four percent in more than 50 years. Today’s numbers demonstrate an economy that’s growing at a strong and steady pace, which was a consistent story throughout 2023. 

“In the past year, jobs grew by an average of 225,000 a month, totaling 2.7 million jobs created in 2023. We also experienced this sustainable growth across many industries. For example, in construction, an average of 16,000 jobs were created each month last year, and manufacturing job growth remained steady throughout 2023. In addition, last year, we marked historic milestones. Labor force participation among prime-age women hit an unprecedented high, and the annual rate of unemployment for Black workers was 5.5 percent, the lowest annual unemployment rate for Black workers since we started tracking this data.   

“The stable economic growth of 2023, along with evidence pointing to a broad and equitable recovery, was not pre-ordained. It is the result of President Biden’s vision that when we do right by workers, our economy does well, and our country gets stronger. In the Biden-Harris administration, we also know that we have more work to do. Looking ahead to 2024, we will continue to focus on creating high-quality jobs and investing in all of America’s workers so that our economy grows from the middle out and the bottom up.”

EDITOR'S NOTE: This statement has been edited to correct the number of jobs in construction added per month on average in 2023. It is 16,000, not 1,000. 

WASHINGTON – Acting Secretary of Labor Julie Su joined General Services Administrator Robin Carnahan, Office of Management and Budget Deputy Director for Management Jason Miller, Rep. Shontel Brown, and Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb in Cleveland on Dec. 18, 2023, to announce a final rule implementing President’s Biden’s Executive Order 14063 requiring Project Labor Agreements for most large-scale federal construction projects.   

The rule will help ensure that large federal construction projects are completed efficiently and on time, while also supporting good, high-quality jobs. The rule will empower workers as the President’s agenda rebuilds America’s infrastructure. 

The delegation made the announcement at the Celebrezze Federal Building. Currently, the GSA is working to modernize the building to better serve the needs of veterans, students, retirees and other communities seeking federal supports. Contractors and unions have entered into a PLA for the project that creates equitable workforce development pathways into the trades and Registered Apprenticeships. 

“The Biden-Harris administration is here to announce a final rule that requires – with just a few limited exceptions – Project Labor Agreements on federal contracts valued at or above $35 million,” said Acting Secretary of Labor Julie Su. “First and foremost, this new rule is good for the government’s bottom line.”  

“Today is the start of something big,” Su continued. “We’re proving that what makes good sense for government is also good for workers. It’s good for businesses. It’s good for our country. Thank you all for being a part of it.”  

Learn more about the President’s Executive Order requiring Project Labor Agreements.  

WASHINGTON – Today, the Biden-Harris administration is taking critical steps to advance the American Climate Corps, a landmark initiative announced by President Biden in September 2023 to train the next generation of clean energy, conservation and climate resilience workers, while putting them on a path to good-paying union jobs. 

As part of this commitment, the Department of Labor joins six federal agencies – the departments of Commerce, Interior, Agriculture, Energy, the Environmental Protection Agency and AmeriCorps – in a Memorandum of Understanding that will serve as a blueprint for the multiagency program. The memorandum lays out the mission, goals, priorities and next steps for implementing President Biden’s American Climate Corps.

Beginning in January, senior administration officials will convene a series of virtual listening sessions to hear directly from prospective American Climate Corps applicants and implementing partners, including labor unions, educational institutions, employer partners, and state, local and Tribal governments about their priorities for the American Climate Corps. The sessions will inform the implementation of this historic new initiative. Learn more about the virtual listening sessions. 

“As part of President Biden’s American Climate Corps, the Department of Labor is doing its part to make sure these opportunities are equitable and accessible for all workers,” said Acting Secretary of Labor Julie Su. “This whole-of-government partnership reflects our commitment to train tens of thousands of young people to tackle the climate crisis while putting them on a path to good jobs.”

Under the MOU, agencies are agreeing to the following American Climate Corps’ principles:

• Reflect a comprehensive approach to tackling climate change. 
• Build upon and expand existing partnerships, while also initiating new partnerships in communities across the country.
• Compensate members to ensure the initiative is accessible to all.
• Provide a pathway to high-quality employment.
• Expand workforce pathways in and led by disadvantaged communities that are marginalized, underserved and overburdened by pollution.
• Serve all of America’s communities by improving climate resilience, reducing climate pollution, and by creating economic opportunity in our urban, rural, suburban and wilderness remote areas. 

The memorandum also establishes an Executive Committee – comprised of the Assistant to the President and National Climate Advisor, CEO of AmeriCorps, Secretary of Commerce, Secretary of the Interior, Secretary of Agriculture, Secretary of Labor, Secretary of Energy, and Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency – that will provide leadership across the federal government for the American Climate Corps, as well as a working group to formally carry out and implement the initiative.

Within the first three weeks of launching the American Climate Corps, more than 40,000 people, about two-thirds of whom are ages 18-35, expressed interest in joining the initiative. The American Climate Corps is on track to establish the first cohort of members in the summer of 2024. 

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Acting Secretary of Labor Julie Su issued the following statement on the November 2023 Employment Situation report: 

“Today, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that the American economy added 199,000 jobs in November, and the unemployment rate ticked down to 3.7 percent, continuing 22 straight months of an unemployment rate under 4 percent. Not since 1970 has unemployment been this low for this length of time, demonstrating once again that Bidenomics is working.

“This jobs report shows steady, sturdy and sustainable economic growth, with an average monthly gain of 204,000 jobs over the past three months. In addition, average hourly earnings have grown 4 percent over the year – with some of the strongest increases going to low-wage workers – putting more money in people’s pockets, heading into the holiday season.

“This is what growing the economy from the middle out and the bottom up looks like. Under President Biden, our economy has gained 14.1 million jobs, expanding opportunities for more working families across the country. This administration will continue to focus on making sure all of America’s workers can get high-quality jobs in a strong and stable economy.” 

WASHINGTON – Acting Secretary of Labor Julie Su welcomed business and finance leaders, workers and worker advocates to the department’s Washington headquarters on Nov. 28, 2023, to discuss the case for businesses, investors and related entities to expand their practical understanding of the benefits of worker voice.

Participants included leadership from Microsoft, New York City Comptroller Brad Lander, the AFL-CIO, a Communications Workers of America worker-leader and organizer, and other business and labor leaders and worker advocates.

“We’re seeing record levels of worker organizing across the country and a fundamental shift in how workers view work and the role of work in their lives,” said Acting Secretary of Labor Julie Su. “To meet workers in this moment, the Department of Labor is promoting pathways to good jobs through initiatives that prioritize high-quality jobs, promote equity and support economic empowerment. I’m grateful for the opportunity to convene workers and business leaders as we enter a new frontier change in attitudes from industry and the investor community, and how it’s impacting workers and their employers for the better.”

“New Frontiers for Empowering Workers and Business” included two conversations about emerging strategies for building and recognizing worker voice and demonstrate how businesses and investors can leverage these new dynamics to become more resilient and competitive in partnership with workers. 

“Broadly shared economic thriving is good for the economy and a good economy is good for a universal public pension fund portfolio,” said New York City Comptroller Brad Lander. “I was thrilled to join Acting Secretary Su and fellow panelists to discuss progress being made on the labor front and highlight the importance of ensuring fundamental rights are upheld throughout the workplace. I look forward to working with fellow members of the Labor Rights Investor Network in the coming months to engage with companies on critical issues impacting their workforce.”

The in-person and online event also explored new forthcoming data on worker sentiment that can inform industry and policy, and powerful models for embedding worker voice that show how workers and employers can thrive together.

“Having an unemployment rate persistently below 4 percent is something that many economists didn’t think was possible, and we believe that it’s due to the big investments that have been made in workers,” said Acting Executive Director Kitty Richards of Groundwork Collaborative, a non-profit think tank and advocacy group in Washington, D.C. “As wages are rising, and workers are organizing and conditions are improving, a lot of people are now in the labor market who weren’t really there before. We can grow our businesses and communities, but we need to understand what is bringing people into the job market and what is keeping people out. My hope is that this new data will help inform businesses and policy makers.” 

“Microsoft created labor principles that are embedded in our culture. We listened to workers, engaged leaders in the process and invested in learning to develop and implement these principles,” said Vice President and Deputy General Counsel, Human Resources Legal at Microsoft Amy Pannoni. “I was grateful to participate in today’s discussion and hear about the experience of others, especially workers at ZeniMax. Thank you to Acting Secretary Su and her team for creating an opportunity to share real-world guidance to empower workers and business.”

“As founders, we have a view of the world that workers should be able to organize, collective bargaining is good for business,” said Akash Systems Co-Founder and CEO Felix Ejeckam. “Manufacturing has shrunk to single digits of our GDP and we’re now trying to reverse that by bringing back jobs that have moved to countries with labor standards that we don’t approve of. We’re trying to bring those jobs back in a very different way to pay people a good wage and give them a real stake in the business and that’s going to require a different way of thinking. We’re being creative about our partnerships and working with a union is how we get to define what we want in this new labor force.”

“Working with a company that has committed to neutrality means employees are a lot happier, they’re not scared to lose their jobs, they’re working better and being more productive and the result is less turnover,” said Zenimax Central Services Quality Assurance Lead and CWA member Rhyanna Eichner. “In our industry, institutional knowledge is very important, and we prioritize that along with other things like professional development because we believe that if our employees are better trained and ready, it will benefit both the worker and the company.”

“From safety and health to training and professional development, there are all sorts of ways that companies can be much more communicative about the way they treat workers,” said Trillium Asset Management Chief Advocacy Officer Jonas Kron. "I appreciate the opportunity to speak with folks who are in a position to take on these data requests that can help us invest in more intelligent ways.”

“We must involve the community to make sure that if we're investing taxpayer money into public and state projects, then workers in those communities should be the first to get those jobs,” said Strategic Adviser to the President of the AFL-CIO Cindy Estrada. “And then we need to focus on how to prepare those workers to be successful in those jobs. Workers should not have to punch out of a democracy when they punch into work. A union is really about workers having a voice in important decisions on the job. These decisions not only impact workers' wages, health and safety and other priorities, they impact the communities around us. I can’t think of a more productive way for our country to go than that.”

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced that Acting Secretary of Labor Julie Su has appointed two new members of the Administrative Review Board. 

The ARB issues decisions on behalf of the Secretary of Labor in cases arising under a wide range of worker protection laws, primarily involving environmental, transportation and securities whistleblower protection; H-1B immigration provisions; child labor; employment discrimination; job training; seasonal and migrant workers; and federal construction and service contracts.

The newly appointed members of the Board are as follows:

• Angela Thompson most recently served as general counsel of the Communications Workers of America. Prior to that role, she was associate director of the legal department of the American Federation of Teachers. She also previously worked at the National Labor Relations Board and the department’s Office of the Solicitor
• Jonathan Rolfe served as vice-chair of the department’s Benefits Review Board prior to his appointment. He has been a member of the BRB since 2015 and served as a trial attorney in the department’s Office of the Solicitor. 

ARB cases generally arise upon appeal from decisions of the department’s Administrative Law Judges or the Administrator of the Wage and Hour Division. Depending upon the statute at issue, the parties may appeal ARB decisions to federal district or appellate courts and ultimately to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Ms. Thompson and Mr. Rolfe join ARB Chair and Chief Judge Susan Harthill, Vice Chair Tammy L. Pust and Member Ivey Warren, and their appointments ensure full membership on the Board.