It's Finally Official: DOL Secretary Marty Walsh Has Resigned For More Lucrative Hockey Career

Although Walsh will be staying on at the DOL until mid-March, he has accepted the job as the NHLPA's Executive Director and reportedly going to be making $3 million per year.

Photo by Mariah Hewines on Unsplash

It’s official: Marty Walsh will be skating away from his post as Department of Labor Secretary in mid-March to accept the job as Executive Director of the National Hockey League’s Players Association, reportedly for $3 million per year.

Although rumored to have been the case even before President Biden’s State of the Union address earlier this month, Walsh has kept quiet on the topic.

In a series of tweets on Thursday, Walsh stated that he notified President Biden of his decision “earlier this week” and would be staying in his role at the Department of Labor until mid-March.

Secretary Marty Walsh @SecMartyWalsh

Earlier this week I met with @POTUS and he accepted that my time as Labor Secretary will conclude mid-March. As a second-generation card-carrying union member, serving as your Secretary of Labor in the most pro-worker administration in our history is an immense privilege. (1/6)

Secretary Marty Walsh @SecMartyWalsh

I am forever grateful to @POTUS not only for the faith he placed in me but for his steady, transformative & historic leadership on behalf of working people everywhere. I am proud of the work @USDOL and the rest of the administration has gotten done over the last two years. (2/6)

Secretary Marty Walsh @SecMartyWalsh

We have been there for workers through a global pandemic and historic recovery. We empowered workers to organize and strengthened protections workers depend on. My life has been defined by second chances, and our work delivered second chances to millions of people. (3/6)

Secretary Marty Walsh @SecMartyWalsh

I’ve met with workers at their workplaces, in union halls and on a picket line. I’ve spent long nights with labor and management to get to solutions. We brought high-quality, equitable job training and career pathways to more workers and across more industries. (4/6)

Secretary Marty Walsh @SecMartyWalsh

I would be remiss if I did not also acknowledge the exceptional work and support of my partner in this endeavor, Deputy Secretary Julie Su. With the kind of leadership assembled across @USDOL, I am confident there will be continuity and the work will be sustained. (5/6)

Secretary Marty Walsh @SecMartyWalsh

I leave @USDOL with a deeper understanding of why working people are the heart and soul and strength of our nation. I believe in the promise and resilience of our nation now more than ever. Thank you for everything. (6/6)

While a successor to Walsh has not yet been named, many on the Left are hoping that DOL Deputy Secretary Julie Su would presumptive choice.

Su, California’s former labor secretary is a controversial figure though.

“Under Su’s watch, California’s unemployment system paid out over $11 billion in fraudulent claims, totaling 10 percent of all benefits paid,” Americans for Tax Reform’s Tom Hebert wrote when Su was nominated for the DOL’s Under Secretary of Labor job.

Su also has an “extensive record of anti-freelancer views and a willingness to leverage government power to push her radical agenda.” Hebert wrote. 

Su is by no means a shoo in, however.

Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, for example, sent a letter to President Biden last week suggesting Sara Nelson, the head of the largest flight attendants’ union, and former Clinton-administration Labor Secretary Robert Reich would be good candidate’s to replace Walsh.

Walsh’s possible replacement has reportedly split Democrats—even before he announced his resignation on Thursday.

Former New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio is, according to the New York Post, lobbying to replace as well.

Ex-Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), on the other hand, has “thrown former Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney’s (D-N.Y.) name into the mix, complicating Biden’s decision.” reported The Hill over the weekend.

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