Walsh and Biden also have strong personal ties. Not only did Biden speak at the mayor’s inauguration in 2017, but the two were seen together in Boston on the anniversary of the bombing marathon, at a Stop & Shop workers rally and at dinner.
“He is a friend and knows Joe: they have worked together on several occasions,” AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka told POLITICO in November. “They have the relationship that I think is necessary.”
The decision to nominate Walsh is a significant blow to AAPI lawmakers and outside groups, who have been highlighting for weeks that Biden has not yet chosen an Asian American for any office in his office. Secretary of Labor seemed to be one of his last opportunities and perhaps the most likely.
Biden has already nominated two Asian American women, Neera Tanden and Katherine Tai, for cabinet positions in the Office of Administration and Budget and the Office of the US Trade Representative, respectively. But none of these positions are at the secretary level, where at least one AAPI candidate has held a seat for more than two decades.
If confirmed, Walsh would take office at one of the most critical points in history for American work, with millions of people unemployed and facing loss of unemployment benefits, and a narrowly divided Congress about to get in the way of Biden’s main legislative initiatives. . Still, the Secretary of Labor has the power to approve regulatory changes that can make the workplace safer and more secure and empower employees.
The president of the American Federation of Teachers, Randi Weingarten, said that Walsh’s connection with Biden and his own background would make him effective. “Marty reaches this point with a closeness to the president-elect and the ability to do things,” she told POLITICO.
The AFL-CIO’s two largest affiliates, AFT and the American Federation of State, Municipal and Municipal Employees, supported Walsh, a former leader of the Boston Building and Construction Trade Council, an umbrella group for unions.
“Marty is a star and he can start working right away when it comes to dealing with problems and the impact on working families,” said AFSCME President Lee Saunders earlier this month.
Trumka, although he stopped formally endorsing Walsh, said in November that he would be a “great choice” who “has a strong union and bonafides; he has executive experience and a track record that would make anyone who worked very, very proud. “
Support, however, was not unanimous: United Auto Workers and Utility Workers Union of America sent letters to Biden’s transition team supporting Levin, and National Nurses United and Communications Workers of America also supported Levin. United Farm Workers of America spoke in favor of Su.
Three of the largest unions in the United States – the National Education Association and the Service Employees International Union and Teamsters – are not members of the AFL-CIO and do not endorse candidates for the top job.
In fact, the divergence between AFL-CIO affiliates and the impulse of Asian Americans on the Pacific islands by Su raised some doubts that Biden would choose Walsh.
But he was supported by most of the organized work all the time, Saunders said. “Each union makes its own decision, but the overwhelming majority support Marty as secretary of labor,” he said.
Current and past union officials raised concerns about the corruption disclosures under Walsh’s supervision as mayor, a position he has held since 2014. This includes a city official who pleaded guilty in September 2019 to taking a $ 50,000 bribe. But Trumka was quick to dismiss them: “It is absurd,” he said. “It had nothing to do with him.”
Walsh, for his part, remained silent throughout the process.
“I am excited about what a Biden-Harris government means to Boston,” he said in November. “While it is an honor to be mentioned among the many highly qualified individuals being considered for a position in the Biden government, I am focused on my job as mayor. “
Until the announcement, Walsh was widely expected to run for a third term in 2021, despite not having announced his plans. In November, he told reporters that he was looking forward to working with the Biden government “as mayor for the many years to come”, quelling speculation that he might be going to Washington.
Walsh also raised more than $ 323,000 in November and recently spent $ 40,000 on research, signaling that he would try another candidacy for the mayor’s office. He also did not endorse Biden in the Democratic primaries, preferring to remain neutral.
Megan Cassella and Stephanie Murray contributed to this report.