Eugene Scalia’s Confirmation as Secretary of Labor Is Troubling for Working People Across the Country

(Washington, DC) On September 26, the U.S. Senate confirmed Eugene Scalia as Trump’s next Secretary of Labor. The Secretary of Labor is the nation’s most senior official tasked with ensuring the well-being and rights of working people and advancing their employment opportunities. As Secretary of Labor, Scalia will direct the Department of Labor’s interpretation and enforcement of several laws vital to women’s economic security and right to be free from workplace discrimination.

The following is a statement by Emily Martin, Vice President for Education & Workplace Justice at the National Women’s Law Center:

As Secretary of Labor, Eugene Scalia is charged with protecting working people—yet in his career he has shown no interest in upholding, much less advancing, their rights. For decades he has enabled employers to escape responsibility for protecting workers from discrimination—including sexual harassment, race discrimination, and disability discrimination. He has shown persistent hostility to the worker and consumer protections the Department of Labor is charged to uphold. The National Women’s Law Center will continue to marshal all the resources at its disposal to ensure that working people can enjoy safe and healthy workplaces that are free of harassment and discrimination, and that Eugene Scalia’s Department of Labor does not undermine that mission.

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For immediate release: September 26, 2019
Contact: LySaundra Campbell ([email protected])