In Spanish
Yesterday, as I was sworn in as the 29th secretary of the U.S. Department of Labor, I thought about my mother and father, who emigrated from Ireland in the 1950s. They both worked hard, but our American Dream did not take shape until my father joined the Laborers Union Local 223 in Boston.
The union was our way into the middle class. It meant a fair wage, so we could have a home and give back to our community. It meant safety on the job, so we didn’t have to live in fear of an accident derailing our lives. It meant a pension, so my parents could retire with dignity. And it meant health insurance, so our family had access to quality care.
As a young man, I followed my father into construction and joined the same union. I worked on job sites all over Boston and saw the sacrifices working people make to ensure they can feed their families. In my 20s, because of the same benefits that enabled my cancer treatment as a child, I was able to seek treatment for my alcoholism. I am a proud member of the recovery community. Later on, as a full-time legislator, I went back to school and earned my degree from Boston College at the age of 42.
I share these personal details because they shaped who I am today, and they inform my deep belief in the work of the Department of Labor:
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Ensuring all workers have fair pay, health care, unemployment benefits, safe workplaces and a secure retirement.
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Ensuring equal access to good jobs.
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Ensuring workers have a seat at the table in shaping workplace conditions and policies.
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Bolstering career education and job training.
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Increasing access to mental health and substance use treatment.
These are not just policies to me — these are real, tangible needs for millions of Americans, and I will continue fighting for them as I begin this new role.
We have a lot of work to do. Right now, our nation is facing unprecedented economic and public health crises that are disproportionately hurting communities of color. Hundreds of thousands of Americans continue to file for unemployment week after week, and while we are making lifesaving advances in vaccine distribution, we still have a long way to go to full recovery.
I believe we must act with urgency to meet this moment, to strengthen and empower our workforce as we rebuild. As secretary, I pledge to work in partnership with workers and businesses; states, cities and tribal territories; employees in every agency of the Department of Labor; and President Biden and Vice President Harris to help working families build back better.
Marty Walsh is the Secretary of Labor. Follow him on Twitter at @SecMartyWalsh.
Responding to the Challenge
As I was sworn in yesterday as the 29th Secretary of the US Department of Labor, I thought of my mother and father, who immigrated from Ireland in the 1950s. Although they worked hard, our American dream began to take shape when my father joined Laborers Union Local 223 in Boston.
The union was our path to the middle class. It represented a fair wage, so that we could have a home and serve our community. It meant job security, so we wouldn’t have to live in fear of an accident that would derail our lives. It meant a pension, so that my parents could retire with dignity. And it meant medical insurance, so that our family had access to good health services.
As a young man I followed in my father’s footsteps into the construction industry and joined the same union. I worked all over Boston and watched the sacrifices workers must make in order to feed their families. During my 20s, and for the same benefits that allowed the treatment of my cancer as a child, I was able to seek treatment for my alcoholism. I am a proud member of the rehab community. Later, as a full-time legislator, I returned to school and when I was 42 I graduated from Boston College.
I share these personal details because they shaped who I am today and underpin my deep belief in the work that the Department of Labor does:
-
Ensure that all workers have a fair wage, health care, unemployment benefits, safe workplaces, and a secure retirement.
-
Guarantee equal access to good jobs.
-
Ensure that workers participate in decision-making to shape employment conditions and policies.
-
Strengthen education and job training.
-
Increase access to mental health and substance use treatment.
These to me are not just political – they are real and tangible needs of millions of Americans, and I will continue to fight for them as I begin this new role.
We have a lot of work to do. Right now, our nation faces unprecedented economic and public health crises that are disproportionately affecting communities of color. Week after week hundreds of thousands of Americans continue to file for unemployment, and while we are making vital progress in vaccine distribution, we still have a long way to go to a full recovery.
I think we must act with the urgency of this moment to strengthen and empower our rebuilding workforce. As secretary, I promise to work together with workers and companies; tribal states, cities, and territories; employees in each of the agencies of the Department of Labor; and with President Biden and Vice President Harris to help working families rebuild better than ever.
Marty Walsh is the Secretary of Labor. Follow him on Twitter @SecMartyWalsh.
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