Press Release

Thea Lee the Right Choice to Lead Critical Trade Post

Statement from AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka on the Biden administration naming former AFL-CIO Deputy Chief of Staff Thea Lee to lead the Department of Labor’s international affairs division:

Thea Lee is a tireless advocate for workers and a brilliant trade economist, and there is no better person to help strengthen enforcement of labor standards that increase the power of workers in the U.S. and around the world. She will also help shape policies to end forced labor and egregious worker rights violations throughout global supply chains. I have worked with Thea for more than two decades and learned from the knowledge and care she brings to intricate trade and economic policy. A consummate professional, Thea is uniquely qualified to take on this critical role of enforcing the gains we negotiated under the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement and setting a pro-worker path forward on any new trade agreements.

Contact: Carolyn Bobb, 202-637-5018