Senate confirms Marty Walsh to head Labor Department

The Boston mayor, a former union leader, had the backing of the AFL-CIO.

In a 68-29 vote Monday, the Senate confirmed Boston Mayor Marty Walsh to be Labor secretary.

Walsh became a union member at 21 and rose to lead the Boston Trades Council, which represents ironworker and electricians unions, among others. He also served for 17 years as a Massachusetts state representative. He has been mayor of Boston since 2014.

Walsh’s confirmation was a victory for AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka, who rallied his federation of 56 unions to back Walsh soon after Biden won the election in November.

“For four years, working families have lived with a Labor Department devoted to serving a handful of elite interests,” Trumka said in a statement. “Now, the power to enforce safety and equity in our workplaces has been handed from a ruthless corporate lawyer to a proud union brother.”

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