President-elect Donald Trump has tapped Republican Congresswoman Lori Chavez-DeRemer of Oregon for the job of labor secretary.
Throughout his campaign, Trump made many promises to America's workers — that he would protect their jobs, bring manufacturing back to the U.S., and restore their ability to achieve the American dream. He also proposed ending taxes on tips and overtime. Pieces of this agenda could end up on Chavez-DeRemer's plate.
"Lori's strong support from both the Business and Labor communities will ensure that the Labor Department can unite Americans of all backgrounds," Trump wrote in a statement released by his campaign.
In 2022, Chavez-DeRemer was elected to her first term in Congress to represent Oregon's 5th Congressional District, flipping a blue seat to red. Earlier this week, as word spread Chavez-DeRemer could become Trump's pick for labor secretary, the freshman Republican issued a statement on her plans for the role.
"I'd be honored to have the opportunity to support President Trump's mission to empower and grow our nation's workforce," she said. "Hardworking Americans finally have a lifeline with the president, and I'd work tirelessly to support his impressive efforts to remake the Republican Party into the Party of the American worker."
In her re-election bid this year, House Speaker Mike Johnson repeatedly campaigned on Chavez-DeRemer's behalf to try to fend off a popular Democratic challenger.
However, she faced headwinds as a blue wave took hold of several down-ballot races in the Pacific Northwest. The freshman Republican member ultimately lost to state lawmaker Janelle Bynum.
Ahead of plans for a new role in the next administration, Chavez-DeRemer wrote on X earlier this week of Trump's success in expanding his working-class coalition.
"This is a true political realignment," she wrote. "We must continue to be the party of the American Worker, with President Trump leading the way!"
In recent days, Teamsters President Sean O'Brien had pushed for Chavez-DeRemer's selection, noting that she is one of only a few Republicans in Congress to have supported the PRO Act, a bill aimed at making it easier for workers to organize unions including by overturning state Right to Work laws, which weaken unions.
On Friday evening, O'Brien thanked Trump for the nomination, posting a photo of himself alongside Trump and Chavez-DeRemer on X.
In her re-election bid this fall, Chavez-DeRemer received the endorsements of a number of unions, including her local Teamsters branch, but ended up losing her seat.
How will unions fare under Trump?
Trump won a sizable amount of support from union workers in the 2024 election. While O'Brien declined to endorse Trump after speaking at the Republican National Convention, he nonetheless signaled a willingness to work with whichever administration addressed issues important to his 1.3 million members.
What remains unclear is how Trump might treat unions. On the campaign trail, he joked with billionaire Elon Musk about firing striking workers and said UAW President Shawn Fain should be fired. Still, some close to Trump, including Vice President-elect JD Vance and Sen. Marco Rubio — his nominee to lead the State Department — have supported organized labor in the past.
While Chavez-DeRemer was seen as the only pro-union candidate among those who were rumored to be under consideration by Trump, it's hard to imagine the Trump administration taking as active a role in high-profile labor disputes as President Biden's picks for the job have done. Most recently, Acting Labor Secretary Julie Su helped broker a deal on wages between ocean carriers and East Coast dockworkers. Those negotiations are ongoing, however. A deadline to reach a final deal comes just five days before the inauguration in January.
Future of Biden-era rules in question
If confirmed, Chavez-DeRemer would be coming into a Labor Department facing numerous legal challenges over rules and regulations issued under Biden.
Already, a federal court in Texas has struck down a rule that expanded overtime to some 4 million additional workers. Others, including one limiting who can be classified as an independent contractor and another aimed at raising the wages of workers on federal construction projects, are also being challenged in federal court.
There's been some expectation in the business community and beyond that the Trump administration would either roll back these rules or decline to defend them in court. It's unclear whether Chavez-DeRemer would support those moves.
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