Ahead of Labor Day, we’re celebrating good jobs and workplace successes

Every day is Labor Day at the Labor Department, where we're building a worker-centric economy from the bottom up and the middle out by leveraging federal investments to create good jobs, while protecting workers' rights, wages, health and safety, and supporting workers' rights to organize for better conditions. Visit our Labor Day website to learn how we're delivering for workers under the Biden-Harris administration.

Acting Secretary of Labor Julie Su visited Ultium Cells in Ohio to celebrate the historic first contract between union autoworkers and an electric vehicle battery plant. The June 2024 agreement with the United Auto Workers secured important victories for workplace safety and health, and supports an equitable transition to a clean energy future. Acting Secretary Su met workers building electric vehicle batteries for General Motors and reflected on the Biden-Harris administration’s pro-union, pro-worker accomplishments.

In Detroit this week, Acting Secretary Su celebrated paid sick leave and minimum wage increases with grassroots advocates. She spoke at an event co-hosted by Mothering Justice and the Michigan chapter of the Paid Leave for All Coalition, applauding their successes and underscoring the department’s commitment to connect people, especially those historically left behind, with skills training and good jobs opportunities.

Acting Secretary Su joined the United Steelworkers earlier this week at their Health, Safety, and Environment conference in Pittsburgh, where she met with some of their new members from Blue Bird Buses and talked about how worker power has been growing under the Biden-Harris administration.

Acting Secretary Su called on Congress to modernize the nation’s unemployment insurance system in an op-ed published by The American Prospect this week. In addition to recognizing the Biden-Harris administration’s success in promoting a strong job market, she argues federal legislators must take the necessary steps to modernize our unemployment insurance system before the next crisis. “Under President Biden’s leadership, the United States has added nearly 16 million jobs, and average unemployment has been lower than during any administration in 50 years. We must make the repairs before the next storm, to build a UI system that will serve the American people when it is most needed,” she said.

We've awarded more than $8 million to support disaster-relief employment and workforce training this week, including:

• $6.6 million to help Florida recover from Hurricane Idalia
• $2 million to help Texas recover from Hurricane Beryl

Aug. 26-30 is Labor Rights Week. Find out what it’s all about and how to get involved in a new blog post from Acting Secretary Su.

After a teenager was fatally injured, a Pennsylvania poultry processing plant has agreed to pay fines and take tangible steps to improve safety.

This Friday, Aug. 23, we’re celebrating 20 years of collaboration with the Embassy of Mexico to advance worker rights. Join us in person or virtually for this special event!

OSHA found Circle K could have prevented a convenience store cashier in Orlando from a serious gunshot injury by following the company’s own established safety procedures.

Labor-management partnerships around the U.S. are helping create a more equitable and effective educational system to serve students, teachers and communities.

Natural mining roof and rib hazards can be reduced when miners are trained to follow these best practices.

Last year, our investigators found the operators of 14 California @Subway locations illegally endangered children, bounced paychecks, stole tips and coerced their employees not to cooperate with the investigation. A district court ordered them to sell or shut down their businesses and pay their employees nearly $1 million in back wages and damages. In this video, one worker shares her story about facing bounced checks, stolen tips, mistreatment and threats of deportation. 💔 No one should endure these injustices. If you’ve experienced similar issues, you’re not alone. Call 📲 1-866-4US-WAGE to learn more.

-@USDOL

• CWA-union.org: CWA Members Join Labor Secretary to Speak Out About Excessive Heat 
• Construction Dive: DOL to hold Davis-Bacon seminar for contractors 
• WisBusiness: Labor secretary touts ‘ripple effect’ of Microsoft project during mine visit 
• MEAT+POULTRY: Mar-Jac reaches settlement with DOL following 16-year-old worker fatality 
• My Journal-Courier: Protecting Illinois workers from heat is a hot topic 
• Portland Tribune: OPINION: Connecting potential with opportunity: 60 years of Job Corps