波士顿市长马蒂·沃尔什（Marty Walsh）是乔·拜登（Joe Biden）的提名人领导劳工部的提名人，他面临着共和党参议员的一些尖锐问题，但在他的确认听证会上受到民主党的称赞。他似乎正在参议院批准。

在2月4日露面the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, Walsh, a long-time member of the Laborers' International Union of North America and a former president of a LIUNA Boston local, hewed closely to Biden’s views on a range of labor issues.

[View committee's video of the hearinghere.]

For example, he said he supported boosting the number of federal Occupational Health and Safety Administration inspectors and backing an increase in the federal minimum wage to $15 per hour, from $7.25 now.

沃尔什（Walsh）似乎还认可与冠状病毒大流行有关的新的紧急工作场所安全标准。

在他的opening statement，沃尔什（Walsh）讲述了他的故事，包括父亲加入工人联盟，他将家人称为“中产阶级之路”，这是七岁的癌症诊断，后来他加入了父亲的当地人。

He listed the main duties of the Labor Dept. as he sees them, including protecting workers on the job, as well as their pay, benefits and pensions. He also cited continuing education, job training and access to treatment for mental health and substance use.

Committee Chair Patty Murray (D-Wash.) said in her opening statement, "After four years of the Trump administration's attack on working families and a pandemic that continues to push them to the brink, we desperately need a Secretary of Labor like Mayor Walsh, who will fight for workers, not against them."

开幕听证会后不久，默里宣布，那天晚些时候，她将重新引入保护组织或专业行为的权利。它呼吁在联邦劳动法上进行各种工会支持的变化，包括结束禁止次要抵制的禁令。拜登支持该法案，沃尔什也是如此。

PRO Act Reintroduced

Walsh said that the Pro Act "is one step towards helping people to organize freely." He added, "I do believe in the right of organizing. I do believe in the right of people being able to join the union if they want to join the union."

In the construction industry, positions are split deeply on the legislation. The measure has the strong backing of the building trades, but faces fierce opposition from Associated Builders & Contractors and the Associated General Contractors of America.

Mike Bellaman, ABC's president and chief executive officer, said in an interview, "We believe in the right for employees to choose a union—and not to join a union."

参议员蒂姆·斯科特（R-S.C.）抨击了《职业法》，称这对27个“工作权”国家（像他自己的行为权利”是重大打击。”

但是，也许是为了缓解对商业和共和党议员的恐惧，他将坚持组织工党的观点，沃尔什有时会引起和解的基调。他说：“在我的整个职业生涯中，我一直在倾听，合作和建立伙伴关系的领导下，”他补充说，如果确认他将继续这样做。

Walsh also pledged that "commerce and labor will work together." He added, "I promise you we are going to work together for the American worker and the American economy."

OSHA: Not 'Us vs. Them'

Regarding jobsite safety, Walsh said, "OSHA should not be an 'us versus them." Rather, he said the administration and Congress should aim to have OSHA be "an agency that is there to help workers and to help employers—and not be put in the middle of both."

贝拉曼从沃尔什（Walsh）的听证会上的评论中说：“我们看到了许多围绕安全和劳动力发展的共同热情”，并帮助成瘾者。沃尔什（Walsh）在听证会上指出，在20年代，他因酒精中毒而受到治疗，并说他是“今天的恢复社区的骄傲成员”。

贝拉曼补充说：“这家伙是[建筑]行业的。所以他知道这个行业，我认为这是积极的。”

Among other topics, Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisc.) told Walsh that for months she has been calling on OSHA to issue an emergency temporary safety standard related to those working during the pandemic. "This is really long overdue," Baldwin said.

Walsh praised grocery store workers, first responders, nurses custodians and other workers on the front lines of keeping the economy operating during the pandemic. Appearing to side with Baldwin, he said, "If I don't protect those workers....then I don't have a right to be sitting in that [Secretary's] seat."

He went further, saying that the number of OSHA inspectors has decreased by more than 500 over the past four years and added, "if we increase [safety] standards and don't increase inspectors, then we really don't protect the American worker."

Citing worker safety in March 2020, Walsh was the first mayor of a major U.S. city to temporarily halt construction during the COVID-19 outbreak. (ENRnamed Walsh one of its Top 25 Newsmakerslast month.)

Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.), citing comments from Teamsters' union General President James P. Hoffa, brought up Biden's decision to cancel the Keystone XL pipeline, resulting in the loss of about 8,000 union jobs.

Like Biden's nominees for other Cabinet-level posts, Walsh said workers who lost their jobs at the Keystone project will be able to find new ones in other energy-related areas, through his Build Back Better plan. But Cassidy said the Keystone jobs were lost immediately, adding, "The jobs you're describing are in the by and by."

Minimum Wage

沃尔什（Walsh）还对联邦最低工资中提议的提升也得到了阻碍。参议员罗杰·马歇尔（R-Kan。

Walsh said the wage issue would be subject to discussion in Congress and said that if the higher wage were approved, there would be "many conversations" about how it would be implemented.

The committee's top Republican, Richard Burr (N.C.), said near the end of the hearing, "I look forward to the chairman expediting your confirmation and look forward to supporting you."

Later in the day, Murray announced that the committee will vote on his nomination on Feb. 11.