President Joe Biden announced the resignation Labor Secretary Marty Walsh on Friday, marking the third departure from the president’s cabinet since he took office in 2021.
“Marty Walsh is one tough union chief. His record at the Department of Labor is a testament to the power of putting a card-carrying union member in charge of fighting for American workers. Marty has gone to bat for working families every day, and with his help, this administration has helped workers recover from a historic economic downturn and launch a new era of worker power,” Biden said in a statement.
Walsh joined Laborers Local 223 in Boston as a young man, headed the city’s Building and Construction Trades Council from 2011 to 2013 and was mayor of Boston from 2014 to 2021.
The statement did not mention Walsh’s day of departure or where he would be headed next, but reports indicate that he will be leading the NHL Players’ Association. Biden did not announce Walsh’s replacement.
WASHINGTON, DC – DECEMBER 02: U.S. President Joe Biden (L) shakes hands with Labor Secretary Marty Walsh after signing bipartisan legislation averting a rail workers strike in the Roosevelt Room at the White House on December 02, 2022 in Washington, DC. Biden helped negotiate a deal between freight rail companies and their workers in September but a union that primarily represents conductors rejected the plan. Siting the need to avert the economic damage caused by a holiday season rail strike, Congress passed legislation imposing the negotiated agreement. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
“Through Marty’s leadership, this administration has helped unions secure a historic pay raise for rail workers, continued the fight for paid sick days for all American workers, strengthened workplace protections, and ushered in a historic surge in union organizing,” Biden added. “He knows that unions make us all stronger, no matter what we do or where we come from.”
“My dad used to say that a job is about a lot more than a paycheck, it’s about dignity and it’s about respect,” the president continued. “Few people understand that more than Marty. I thank Marty for his work, which has made life better for millions of working Americans, and will serve as a model for all future Labor Secretaries who truly value American working people.”
Walsh is the third person to leave Biden’s cabinet, following Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) Director Eric Lander’s resignation in Feb. 2022 and the recent departure of Chief of Staff Ron Klain. (RELATED: As Kamala’s Office Is In Spin, Biden’s Cabinet Has Had Surprisingly Low Turnover)
Prominent non-cabinet members of the administration who have departed or announced plans to do so include White House press secretary Jen Psaki, Director of the White House Office of Public Engagement Cedric Richmond, White House Communications Director Kate Bedingfield, and top economic adviser Brian Deese.