He spent years advocating for construction workers. Now he could shake up the gig economy
Marty Walsh may not seem like the person to overhaul the gig economy. He spent years advocating for construction workers and less time on the intricacies of on-demand work at billion-dollar tech companies.
But now Walsh, a former union leader and the outgoing Mayor of Boston, is on the cusp of becoming the next US Labor Secretary at a pivotal moment for the industry and the broader economy. Millions of Americans have lost their jobs as the health crisis created an economic crisis. And many turned to working with companies like Uber, Instacart, and DoorDash as a backstop for their livelihoods. Instacart alone added hundreds of thousands of contract workers last year to meet demand for grocery delivery spurred by the pandemic.
Walsh pledges revamped effort on worker rights
Labor Department nominee also vows to address multiemployer fund crisis
Nominee for Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh
Tackling issues on workers rights and safety will be top of mind for Marty Walsh if he s confirmed to lead the Department of Labor, but he also vowed to address the mounting multiemployer pension crisis during his Senate confirmation hearing Thursday.
Mr. Walsh, who has served as Boston s mayor since 2014 and is President Joe Biden s nominee for labor secretary, has an extensive labor background, including leading the Boston Metropolitan District Building Trades Council from 2011-2013.
Retirement issues weren t a focus during the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee hearing, as most committee members asked questions of Mr. Walsh on getting people back to work, protecting workers during the pandemic, boosting unemployment insurance and improving job training programs.
Labor Secretary Nominee Walsh is Soft on Union Violence and Corruption
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Marty Walsh
When Joe Biden campaigned for president, he vowed to be “the most pro-union president you’ve ever seen.” He wasn’t kidding. His nominee for labor secretary, Marty Walsh, once headed a union himself. And for these past seven years, as mayor of Boston, he has displayed a tendency to look past criminal activity by certain local unions. Moreover, since his January 7 nomination, evidence has emerged that he diverted over a million dollars over the years from his campaign coffers to a boutique consulting firm for which his girlfriend works. The payments recently have risen to nearly $15,000 a month, accounting for over half of the company’s revenues. Such behavior suggests serious conflicts of interest, an issue that needs to be addressed at Senate confirmation hearings.