President Donald Trump has nominated acting Labor Secretary Keith Sonderling to run the Labor Department permanently, moving to steady an agency that has faced months of turbulence and sharp fights over workplace rules.
Trump announced the pick on social media Monday night, writing that Sonderling had shown “dedication to delivering strong results for the Hardworking People of our Country.” The post came as the administration continues to push a pro-employer labor agenda while saying its changes are meant to put American workers first.
Sonderling had been serving as acting secretary after Lori Chavez-DeRemer, Trump’s previous labor secretary, resigned in April. Chavez-DeRemer had been an unusual choice for a Republican administration after lobbying from the Teamsters union, but her time at the department ended during a misconduct inquiry.
The agency’s inspector general has not released findings from that investigation. The inquiry involved allegations that Chavez-DeRemer misused funds and drank on the job. Her husband was also banned from Labor Department headquarters after accusations of sexual misconduct from three female staffers.
Sonderling’s nomination requires Senate confirmation. Business groups welcomed the choice, with Roger King, senior labor and employment counsel at the CHRO Association, saying Sonderling “comes from the employer side” but can bring competing views into the same room.
The department has already moved to undo or reverse more than 60 rules and regulations under Trump. Those efforts have included changes affecting overtime and minimum wage protections for home health care workers, as well as union organising rights for migrant farm workers.
Earlier this month, Sonderling sent letters to all 50 governors demanding action against “fraud, waste, and abuse” in unemployment insurance systems and warning that federal funds could be withheld if states did not comply.
The nomination now puts Sonderling’s record before senators, where business groups, unions and state officials will be watching how far Trump’s Labor Department plans to go.
