Secretary Marty Walsh addresses SMACNA members and other construction stakeholders during a Building Trades Recovery Week event in Boston
Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh will leave his position within the Biden Administration to become the head of the NHL Players Association, where he will succeed Donald Fehr.
Before beginning government service, Walsh was a member of Laborers Union 223, eventually becoming the union president. Walsh was also the secretary-treasurer, general agent of the Boston Metropolitan District Building Trades Council, and head of the Boston Building Trades.
Before serving at the Department of Labor, Walsh served in the Massachusetts House of Representatives and later as the Mayor of Boston. He built a strong relationship with SMACNA Boston. While leading the city of Boston, Walsh built a reputation for his desire to create a collaborative relationship between management and labor to further the skilled trades.
This advocacy continued while leading the Department of Labor, where he championed several SMACNA-supported reforms. These include revisions to the Davis-Bacon Act, rules governing independent contractors, expansion of registered apprenticeships, and growth of project labor agreements on federal construction projects. Walsh was also a strong voice for several infrastructure-focused legislation advanced by the White House, including the Infrastructure and Jobs Act and the CHIPS and Science Act.
Walsh heads to the NHLPA at a critical moment as the league and its players prepare for initial negotiations over a new Collective Bargaining Agreement. The current pact between the players and the league is due to expire in 2026.
SMACNA deeply appreciates Walsh’s efforts for the skilled trades and promoting collaboration between labor and management.
