HR pros are eying President Trump’s nominee to lead the Department of Labor, former Oregon Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer.
While Chavez-DeRemer was only in congress a short while, she was dubbed by the Atlantic as “the one Trump pick Democrats actually like.” Chavez-DeRemer became the first Republican woman to be elected to congress from Oregon in 2022, where she served for one term before losing her reelection bid to Democrat Janelle Bynum in a tight race in which Democrats poured millions of dollars to unseat her.
As a Republican lawmaker in the US House of Representatives, Chavez-DeRemer co-sponsored former President Biden’s top legislative effort to support organized labor, the Protecting the Right to Organize—or PRO—Act. She was one of only three Republicans to do so. The measure passed the House twice during Biden’s presidency, but never garnered enough Republican support in the US Senate to survive a 60-vote filibuster.
Her support of efforts that bolster unions may have earned her a doting moniker from across the aisle, but union leaders still worry about the department’s priorities under a Trump administration.
“Lori Chavez-DeRemer has built a pro-labor record in Congress,” said AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler in a statement following news of her intended nomination. “It remains to be seen what she will be permitted to do as secretary of labor in an administration with a dramatically anti-worker agenda. [...]The AFL-CIO will work with anyone who wants to do right by workers, but we will reject and defeat any attempt to roll back the rights and protections that working people have won with decades of blood, sweat, and tears.”
It remains unclear what Chavez-DeRemer, a former suburban mayor and small business owner in the medical field, will prioritize as the head of the agency responsible for enforcing federal laws and regulations related to wages, working conditions, and other employment-related issues, but HR Brew previously explored areas this new Trump-era DOL may pursue, including overtime salary thresholds, revised standards for independent contractors, and joint-employer policy.
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Major HR organizations have vowed to work alongside Chavez-DeRemer on efforts that further their own policy agendas.
“SHRM looks forward to engaging constructively with Secretary-designate Chavez-DeRemer, President-elect Trump and the administration on behalf of the HR community to ensure policies foster growth, innovation, and opportunities for all,” said SHRM president and CEO Johnny C. Taylor in a statement following her nomination last year. “SHRM pledges to partner on the critical work of the department of labor should the US Senate confirm her. Together, we can continue to strengthen America’s workforce and build a foundation for lasting success for our economy and society. "
Amanda H. Beck, VP of public affairs at HR Policy Association, similarly offered to work with any nominee who “hears and understands our members’ perspectives.”
The former lawmaker told Oregon Public Broadcasting ahead of the 2024 election (as she fought to keep her hotly contested seat), “there were no “Republican” problems or “Democrat” problems—only problems that needed to be addressed. I know how to put politics aside to get the job done.”
Chavez-DeRemer still needs to be confirmed by the Senate, which is now under Republican control. Trump also nominated Keith Sonderling, former US EEOC commissioner, as the agency’s deputy, a role that also requires Senate approval. The Senate Health, Education and Labor and Pensions (HELP) committee have not yet announced any confirmation hearings.
On Jan. 20 the president tapped Vincent Micone to serve as acting director until Chavez-DeRemer is confirmed.