Statement from Heat & Frost Insulators Local 6 Regarding the Appointment of Boston Mayor Marty Walsh as Labor Secretary in Biden Cabinet

Dorchester, MA — Boston’s mechanical insulation union, Heat & Frost Insulators Local 6, issued the following statement:

“Insulators Local 6 extends our warmest congratulations to Mayor Walsh on his appointment as U.S Secretary of Labor to President-elect Joe Biden’s cabinet. He will be the first union member in a half century to hold the position.

While we will miss his strong support for labor and union values as Boston’s Mayor, we are confident that Marty Walsh will bring his commitment to working families to his role as Secretary of Labor and continue to advocate for workers rights, build a safe and fair workplace, and champion workers nationwide.

Marty Walsh is a seasoned union leader with a strong belief in encouraging diversity and equality. He joined the Laborers’ Union Local 223 in Boston at the age of 21, and later served as its president. Before he became Mayor, Walsh was a strong voice for labor at the State House. Prior to that, he was the head of the Building Trades unions and established Building Pathways, a crucial program that provides low-income area residents, particularly those in underserved communities, with apprenticeship preparedness training so they can access good, family-sustaining jobs in the construction industry.   

In 2014, Marty Walsh also launched Operation Exit, a program that offers formerly incarcerated residents the skills and training necessary to help them establish a successful career in the building trades.

He has proven to be a decisive and strong leader throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Recently, he helped the Greater Boston Building Trades Unions, which includes Insulators Local 6, convene the Construction Stops COVID coalition, uniting labor unions, industry partners, and global health experts to keep workers and our communities safe. 

We are thrilled to back Marty Walsh as he assumes the role of U.S Secretary of Labor and continues to empower workers.” 

Jim Lister
Business Manager/Financial Secretary
Heat & Frost Insulators Local 6