Labor Secretary Marty Walsh will step down from his post in mid-March, according to an email Mr. Walsh sent Thursday to Labor Department employees.
Mr. Walsh, whom the Senate confirmed to lead the department in March 2021, has been named executive director of the NHL Players' Association, which represents professional hockey players in Canada and the U.S., according to a Thursday NHLPA release. In his letter to Labor Department employees, Mr. Walsh did not specify his future plans, but said he cherished every minute he spent as labor secretary.
"We have been there for workers through a once-in-a-century pandemic and, in a historic recovery that brought deep shifts in labor dynamics, we encouraged and empowered workers to stand up for their rights and demand better opportunities," Mr. Walsh said.
During a webinar earlier this month hosted by Ceres, a non-profit working to advance sustainable investing, Mr. Walsh touted the Labor Department's new rule permitting retirement plan fiduciaries to consider climate change and other environmental, social and governance factors when selecting investments and exercising shareholder rights.
"It's well established that ESG factors can impact investments, so if investors can't take these factors into account, it's a problem," Mr. Walsh said.
He noted in the letter that President Joe Biden accepted his resignation and specifically thanked Deputy Secretary Julie Su. "Julie is an incredible leader and has been central to our success as a team and as a department," he said. "With the kind of leadership and talent assembled across the department, I am confident there will be continuity and the work will be sustained."
The Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus backed Ms. Su, who previously served as secretary of the California Labor and Workforce Development Agency, for the top job at the Labor Department after Mr. Biden's win in 2020.
Now, CAPAC is endorsing Ms. Su for labor secretary once more.
"Given her experience serving as deputy secretary of labor since July 2021, we know Deputy Secretary Su can hit the ground running on executing existing initiatives of the department while implementing new ones," a statement from CAPAC members said. "Because she is in the best position to understand the department's work and needs, and because the inclusion of an AANHPI (Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander) as a Cabinet secretary is long overdue, CAPAC endorses her to serve as secretary of labor and urges President Biden to swiftly nominate her to the role when appropriate."
