For Immediate Release: January 12, 2021

Contact: Mark Brueggenjohann  202-728-6014

IBEW International President Lonnie R. Stephenson statement on President-elect Joe Biden’s nomination of Marty Walsh to be the next Secretary of Labor

IBEW International President Lonnie R. Stephenson issued the following statement on President-elect Joe Biden’s nomination of Marty Walsh to be the next Secretary of Labor:

“Boston Mayor Marty Walsh has spent his entire life fighting for working families and an economy that rewards not wealth but hard-work. From his start as a member of the Laborers Union to his leadership of the Boston Building and Construction Trades Council to the Massachusetts State House and the mayor’s office, Walsh understands that good jobs, collective bargaining rights, and a fair playing field for working families are integral to a strong middle class. As someone who’s served as both a union member and a lawmaker, Mayor Walsh brings the right kind of experience to the Labor Department.

“More than ever, workers need a voice in Washington, D.C. and Marty Walsh has shown again and again that he will be that voice.”

“Marty has trade unionism in his blood,” said IBEW Second District International Vice President Mike Monahan, who represents members throughout New England. “I’ve known him for a long time, and he knows what it’s like to work hard every day with your hands for a paycheck. I can’t think of a better choice for Labor Secretary.”

Stephenson continued: “One of the great Labor Secretaries in American history, Frances Perkins, once said, ‘A government should aim to give all the people under its jurisdiction the best possible life.’ That has been Mayor Walsh’s political vision throughout his career, and the men and women of the IBEW strongly support his nomination.”

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The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) represents approximately 775,000 members and retirees who work in a wide variety of fields, including construction, utilities, manufacturing, telecommunications, broadcasting, railroads and government.