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Policy Week in Review – March 14, 2025
The Policy Week in Review, prepared by Littler’s Workplace Policy Institute (WPI), sets forth WPI’s updates on federal, state, and local matters, as well as Littler’s published in-depth analyses of the prior week.
Congressional and Administrative News
Senate Confirms Labor Department Nominees
The Senate voted Monday to confirm Lori Chavez-DeRemer as the secretary of labor by a vote of 67-32. Chavez-DeRemer, a former mayor and one-term Republican U.S. House member who supported pro-union legislation, received bipartisan support with 17 Democrats voting yes. Republican Senators Rand Paul (KY), Mitch McConnell (KY) and Ted Budd (NC) were the only Republicans to vote no.
On Wednesday, the Senate voted along party lines to confirm Keith Sonderling as the deputy labor secretary. Sonderling previously served as a commissioner at the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and led the Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division during the first Trump administration. For further insights about Sonderling’s qualifications, read here.
Several Labor Department nominations are pending, including: David Keeling, a former UPS and Amazon safety executive, to lead the OSHA; Henry Mack III, former Florida State Education Chancellor, to lead the Employment and Training Administration (ETA); Daniel Aronowitz, president of Encore Fiduciary, to lead the Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA); and Wayne Palmer, a Department of Labor senior advisor, to lead the Mine Safety and Health Administration. A nominee for the Wage and Hour Division has not been announced as of this date.
Former EEOC Chair Janet Dhillon Nominated to Lead PBGC
Janet Dhillon was recently nominated to serve as the director of the Pension Benefit Guarantee Corporation (PBGC), which protects the retirement incomes of American workers in private sector-defined benefit pension plans. Dhillon previously served as the chair of the EEOC during the first Trump administration. Her nomination is pending consideration by the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee and the Senate Finance Committee.
Federal District Court Reverses Removal of NLRB Member Gwynne Wilcox
As reported last week, a federal district court held that Gwynne Wilcox, a member of the National Labor Relations Board, was “illegally” fired from her job. The court ordered the Board’s current chair to restore her access to the Board and let her serve out the remainder of her term. The administration promptly notified the district court of its intention to appeal the decision and to seek an immediate stay from a federal appeals court. But in the meantime, Member Wilcox’s return will give the Board three active members. That means it appears to have a statutory quorum and can resume operating as normal. For further Littler analysis, read here.
