Latest news with #ProtectingtheRighttoOrganizeAct
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
State leaders to advocate for employees as Pratt & Whitney strike enters fifth day
EAST HARTFORD, Conn. (WTNH) — The strike at Pratt & Whitney has entered its fifth day. This comes after contract negotiations between the company and the machinists' union fell through. Some state leaders are expected at the picket line Friday to show their support. Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) will be in Middleton, and Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) is expected in East Hartford. Pratt & Whitney employees strike over new contract in East Hartford He'll be holding a press conference from the strike line about the Protecting the Right to Organize Act, or PRO Act, which aims to strengthen union organizing rights and protections for workers. Around 3,000 machinists and union members are on strike across the jet-engine maker's Middletown and East Hartford locations. The workers are made up of members of the International Association of Machinists and the Aerospace Workers Union. 'It's about retirement security. It's about wage security. It's about treating us with respect. The company makes a lot of money,' Howard Huestis, President of Local Lodge 1746, said. They say that the security they're asking for is about pensions and ensuring that the company does not move its operations out of Connecticut. 'If they manufacture the engine somewhere else that the Connecticut middle class that's leaving with it,' Walter Polchlopek with Electronic System Services said. Earlier this week, Pratt & Whitney released a statement reading in part: 'Our message to union leaders throughout this thoughtful process has been simple: higher pay, better retirement savings, more days off, and more flexibility. We have no immediate plans to resume negotiations.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Voice of America
11-03-2025
- Business
- Voice of America
Senate confirms Lori Chavez-DeRemer as Trump's labor secretary
The Senate voted Monday to confirm Lori Chavez-DeRemer as U.S. labor secretary, a Cabinet position that puts her in charge of enforcing federally mandated worker rights and protections as the White House is trying to eliminate thousands of government employees. Chavez-DeRemer will oversee the Department of Labor, one of several executive departments named in lawsuits challenging the authority of billionaire Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency to order layoffs and access sensitive government data. The Labor Department had nearly 16,000 full-time employees and a proposed budget of $13.9 billion for fiscal year 2025. Some of its vast responsibilities include reporting the U.S. unemployment rate, regulating workplace health and safety standards, investigating minimum wage, child labor and overtime pay disputes, and applying laws on union organizing and unlawful terminations. Several prominent labor unions, including the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, endorsed Chavez-DeRemer's nomination. The former Republican congresswoman from Oregon is the daughter of a Teamster, and during her one term in the House earned a reputation as pro-labor. The Senate voted to confirm Chavez-DeRemer 67-32, with 17 Democrats voting yes and three Republicans voting no. The Senate has now confirmed all but one of Trump's picks for his Cabinet. Its Committee on Health, Education, Labor & Pensions had voted 14-9 in favor of her nomination last week, with all Republicans except Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky giving Chavez-DeRemer their support. Three Democrats on the committee — Senators John Hickenlooper of Colorado, Tim Kaine of Virginia and Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire — voted with the majority. During her confirmation hearing before the committee, several Republican senators grilled Chavez-DeRemer about her decision to co-sponsor legislation that would have made it easier for workers to unionize and penalized employers who stood in the way of organizing efforts. She declined to explicitly state whether she still backed the Protecting the Right to Organize Act, also known as the PRO Act. Chavez-DeRemer explained she had signed on as a co-sponsor because she wanted a seat at the table to discuss important labor issues. Under further questioning, she walked back some of her support of the bill, saying that she supported state "right to work" laws, which allow employees to refuse to join a union in their workplace. The PRO Act did not come up for a vote during her time in Congress, but the legislation was reintroduced in the House and Senate last week. "As we speak, Donald Trump and his billionaire buddies are stealing the American dream away from working families, rigging every lever of society in favor of the billionaire class," Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said in a statement. "That's why we need the PRO Act, to empower hardworking Americans to bargain for better wages, benefits, and safer working conditions." During her time in Congress, Chavez-DeRemer also co-sponsored legislation to protect public-sector workers from having their Social Security benefits docked because of government pension benefits. That bill also stalled because it didn't have enough Republican support. Chavez-DeRemer walked a fine line during her confirmation hearing, attempting to appeal to both Democrats and Republicans. On the subject of whether the federal minimum wage was overdue for an increase, she said that she recognized it hadn't been raised from $7.25 an hour since 2009 but that she would not want to "shock the economy."
Yahoo
10-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Senate to vote on confirmation of Lori Chavez-DeRemer to lead Labor Department
March 10 (UPI) -- The U.S. Senate is scheduled to vote Monday on the confirmation of former U.S. Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer of Oregon to lead the Labor Department. Chavez-DeRember, 55, is the next to last of the 22 Cabinet picks nearing confirmation. Elise Stefanik has been nominated for U.N. Ambassador and is currently a member of the U.S. House as the Republicans hold a slim 218-214 majority. A simple majority is needed for her to be confirmed with Republicans holding a 53-47 edge. The nomination of Chavez-DeRember, who served one two-year term in the House, cleared a procedural step in a 66-30 vote Thursday, with 15 Democrats voting with all Republicans except Ron Paul, a Republican serving Kentucky, to advance her nomination. Her nomination cleared the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee 14-9 on Nov. 27. Paul opposed her nomination in the committee but three Democrats voted for her. The Kentucky Republican has been critical of her support for pro-labor policies. She later retracked her support for the Protecting the Right to Organize Act, or PRO Act, saying now she "fully" supported states that "want to protect their right to work." "If confirmed, my job will be to implement President Trump's policy division, and my guiding principle will be President Trump's guiding principle, ensuring a level playing field for businesses, unions and, most importantly, the American worker," the Oregon Republican said in her opening remarks. The department has about 16,000 full-time employees. Chavez-DeRemer lost her re-election bid in November. In January 2023, she was the first Republican woman to represent Oregon in the House. Chavez-DeRemer also lost twice for that seat in 2018 and 2018 in the general elections. The Fifth Congressional District, one of six in the state, includes the corner of Portland. Before serving in Congress, she was mayor and city council member in Happy Valley, Ore., which has a population of 25,000, from 2004 to 2018. With her husband, an anesthesiologist, she co-founded an anesthesia management company and opened several other medical clinics in the Pacific Northwest.
New York Times
10-03-2025
- Politics
- New York Times
The Senate confirmed Lori Chavez-DeRemer, a former congresswoman with a pro-union record, as secretary of labor.
Lori Chavez-DeRemer, a Republican former congresswoman whose past support for organized labor earned her skepticism and support across party lines, was confirmed by the Senate on Monday to lead the Labor Department for the Trump administration. The 67-to-32 vote puts Ms. Chavez-DeRemer in charge of enforcing federal labor laws, including workplace safety and pay regulations, and overseeing the collection and publication of labor market data. She secured votes from prominent Democrats, including Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota and Elissa Slotkin of Michigan, while several Republicans — including Rand Paul and Mitch McConnell, both of Kentucky — voted against her, a reflection of Ms. Chavez-DeRemer's history of support for labor unions and collective bargaining. Ms. Chavez-DeRemer advanced to the full vote after a Senate subcommittee last month voted 14 to 9 — with some crossing of party lines — to approve her nomination. The vote from the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee followed a hearing at which she faced sharp questions about her support for unions. While in Congress, Ms. Chavez-DeRemer was a co-sponsor of the Protecting the Right to Organize Act, known as the PRO Act, a sweeping labor bill that sought to strengthen collective bargaining rights. The bill, a Democratic priority, has yet to win passage, and she was among the few Republicans to support it. Ms. Chavez-DeRemer lost her re-election bid in Oregon in November. She was tapped for the Cabinet role by President Trump after some urging from the Teamsters president, Sean O'Brien. At her Senate hearing last month, she sought to distance herself from the PRO bill and also pledged support for Mr. Trump's agenda. Mr. Paul voted against her on the Senate subcommittee, and did so again on Monday — along with Mr. McConnell, the former majority leader, who has voted against several of Mr. Trump's nominees, including Tulsi Gabbard as director of national intelligence and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as health and human services secretary.
Chicago Tribune
10-03-2025
- Business
- Chicago Tribune
Senate confirms Lori Chavez-DeRemer as Trump's labor secretary
The Senate voted Monday to confirm Lori Chavez-DeRemer as U.S. labor secretary, a Cabinet position that puts her in charge of enforcing federally mandated worker rights and protections at a time when the White House is trying to eliminate thousands of government employees. Chavez-DeRemer will oversee the Department of Labor, one of several executive departments named in lawsuits challenging the authority of billionaire Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency to order layoffs and access sensitive government data. The Labor Department had nearly 16,000 full-time employees and a proposed budget of $13.9 billion for fiscal year 2025. Some of its vast responsibilities include reporting the U.S. unemployment rate, regulating workplace health and safety standards, investigating minimum wage, child labor and overtime pay disputes, and applying laws on union organizing and unlawful terminations. Several prominent labor unions, including the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, endorsed Chavez-DeRemer's nomination. The former Republican congresswoman from Oregon is the daughter of a Teamster, and during her one term in the House earned a reputation as pro-labor. The Senate voted to confirm Chavez-DeRemer 67-32. The Senate has now confirmed all but one of Trump's picks for his Cabinet. The Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor & Pensions had voted 14-9 in favor of her nomination last week, with all Republicans except Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky giving Chavez-DeRemer their support. Three Democrats on the committee — Sens. John Hickenlooper of Colorado, Tim Kaine of Virginia and Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire — voted with the majority. During her confirmation hearing before the committee, several Republican senators grilled Chavez-DeRemer about her decision to co-sponsor legislation that would have made it easier for workers to unionize and penalized employers who stood in the way of organizing efforts. She declined to explicitly state whether she still backed the Protecting the Right to Organize Act, also known as the PRO Act. Chavez-DeRemer explained she had signed on as a co-sponsor because she wanted a seat at the table to discuss important labor issues. Under further questioning, she walked back some of her support of the bill, saying that she supported state 'right to work' laws, which allow employees to refuse to join a union in their workplace. The PRO Act did not come up for a vote during her time in Congress, but the legislation was reintroduced in the House and Senate last week. 'As we speak, Donald Trump and his billionaire buddies are stealing the American dream away from working families, rigging every lever of society in favor of the billionaire class,' Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said in a statement. 'That's why we need the PRO Act, to empower hardworking Americans to bargain for better wages, benefits, and safer working conditions.' During her time in Congress Chavez-DeRemer also co-sponsored legislation which sought to protect public-sector workers from having their Social Security benefits docked because of government pension benefits. That bill also stalled because it didn't have enough Republican support. Chavez-DeRemer walked a fine line during her confirmation hearing, attempting to appeal to both Democrats and Republicans. On the subject of whether the federal minimum wage was overdue for an increase, she said she recognized it hadn't been raised from $7.25 an hour since 2009 but that she would not want to 'shock the economy.' Some Democratic senators and workers' rights advocates have questioned how much independence Chavez-DeRemer would have as President Donald Trump's labor secretary and where her allegiance would lie in an administration that has fired thousands of federal employees.
