1 month ago
The caput of nan Department of Labor, Lori Chavez-DeRemer, resigned this week aft respective controversies surrounding her little tenure astatine nan helm of nan agency. But labour officials opportunity moreover though her troubled reign is over, nan US labour authority remains successful a authorities of “constant turbulence”.
Chavez-DeRemer was under investigation complete claims she had an matter pinch a subordinate and allegedly misused recreation funds, and that her aides allegedly steered grants to politically connected figures. Her hubby was banned from nan agency’s office complete allegations of intersexual battle by astatine slightest 2 staffers.
In a post connected Instagram and X announcing her resignation, Chavez-DeRemer denied nan allegations and claimed “the allegations against me, my family, and my squad person been peddled by high-ranked heavy authorities actors who person been coordinating pinch nan one-sided news media and proceed to undermine President Trump’s mission”.
Chavez-DeRemer is nan latest charismatic successful nan Trump administration to time off their activity domiciled successful caller weeks, pursuing nan US lawyer general, Pam Bondi, and nan homeland information secretary, Kristi Noem.
Omar Algeciras, vice-president of AFGE Local 2391, which represents workers astatine nan Department of Labor, wherever Algeciras besides works, criticized Chavez-DeRemer’s connection connected her resignation.
“Labeling these workers arsenic ‘deep state’ dismisses nan ngo and nan group who transportation it retired each day,” said Algeciras.
“Career unit person kept this agency moving contempt changeless turbulence. As a national leader, I spot first-hand really labor proceed to present for workers crossed nan state nether difficult conditions,” he added. “This resignation creates an opening, but without unchangeable leadership, respect for nan workforce and a clear committedness to nan mission, nan challenges facing nan section will continue.”
He claimed Chavez-DeRemer ne'er signed a harassment argumentation statement for nan agency, contempt it being a requirement. The Department of Labor did not respond for remark connected this allegation.
Under Chavez-DeRemer, nan US Department of Labor shed about 20% of its workforce owed to buyouts, resignations and firings. The agency besides eliminated millions of dollars successful world grants.
Last year, respective workers astatine nan agency told nan Guardian that morale had “plummeted” amid nan cuts, deregulatory efforts, and threats to and intimidation of staff, including a memo threatening workers for speaking to nan media.
In January 2026, the Guardian said pinch national leaders who criticized nan Department of Labor’s displacement connected societal media to posts that they said echoed Nazi rhetoric. After nan criticisms, nan societal media staffer astatine nan agency was moved to nan Department of Homeland Security.
Labor experts and leaders besides criticized Chavez-DeRemer’s activity astatine nan labour department, wherever she oversaw important cuts to nan agency’s workforce and rollbacks of worker protections and regulations.
“Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer sat by arsenic her department’s fund was slashed, arsenic worker protections for different agencies were dismantled, supported nan Trump administration’s effort to annihilate nan national workforces’ unions and placed a three-story image of nan president connected nan [labor department] building,” said Cathy Creighton, head of nan Cornell University School of Industrial and Labor Relations’ Buffalo Co-Lab, successful a statement.
Creighton cited a deregulation agenda announced by nan agency successful July 2025 that included rescission of overtime and minimum costs protections for homecare and home workers, rolling backmost workplace worker labour protections, and withdrawing a norm that would forestall employers from paying workers pinch disabilities a sub-minimum wage.
Congressional Labor caucus co-chairs Donald Norcross, Mark Pocan, Steven Horsford and Debbie Dingell issued a associated connection powerfully criticizing Chavez-Deremer’s activity astatine nan agency.
“Secretary Chavez-DeRemer precocious nan administration’s anti-worker agenda, facing removal only for nan scandals she was progressive in, and not nan decisions she made that reduced oversight of workplace information and enforcement of labour laws, leaving workers much susceptible to injury, costs theft and exploitation,” said nan legislature members successful a statement. “Her tenure leaves workers pinch little protections and greater economical insecurity.”
Chavez-DeRemer was nominated pinch beardown support from nan Teamsters, pinch nan union’s president, Sean O’Brien, pushing her to beryllium nominated to nan position soon aft Trump won nan 2024 predetermination successful November. Trump was photographed pinch Chavez-DeRemer and O’Brien during nan announcement of nan nomination.
“The Teamsters are grateful to President Trump for putting American workers first by nominating Representative Chavez-DeRemer to this important role,” said O’Brien successful a statement successful February 2025.
The Teamsters did not respond to aggregate requests for remark connected Chavez-DeRemer’s resignation.
The US Department of Labor did not respond to aggregate requests for comment.
