Bernie Sanders Seeks Support From Allies To Lead Biden’s Labor Department

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A longtime union leader told CNN on Tuesday that Sanders had personally called union leaders to ask for their support, but his overtures had met with mixed reactions.

Sanders’ push comes amid a stepped jockey on the powerful Cabinet position from within the labor movement.

AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka, who is among those contacted by Sanders, favors Boston Mayor Marty Walsh for the post, the senior union leader said, while Michigan Representative Andy Levin, a Democrat who is a popular progressive, has also built a base of support among union leaders, including the Communications Workers of America.

Divisions within labor, many rooted in climate policy, were eased during the general election campaign, as leaders mulled over their options and kept a united front in their broad opposition to President Donald Trump.

Sanders’ interest in the post was first reported by Politico in October, and on Tuesday In These Times magazine also reported that the Vermont senator was seeking support from potential allies.

A spokesperson for Sanders did not respond to the senator’s request for comment on outreach. Biden’s transition team was not immediately available to weigh in, and an AFL-CIO official did not immediately respond to the news that Trumka was rallying Walsh’s support.

In public statements and in an interview with CNN ahead of the election, Sanders spoke of his desire to lead a push from within the Senate to send an ambitious suite of progressive laws to Biden’s office. But those plans may have been complicated by the uncertainty surrounding control of the body, after a disappointing election night for challengers in the Democratic Senate.

The caucus will likely have to win both January contests in Georgia to secure a majority.

If Biden chose Sanders for the post, Vermont Republican Gov. Phil Scott would appoint an interim successor, then, by law, hold a special election to take the seat. Scott said he would choose “a more left-wing type of independent who would obviously caucus with the Democrats” if Sanders accepted a post in the administration.

The Biden-Harris transition team revealed the members of its agency review teams on Tuesday, a first step on the path to filling the incoming administration. One of the members of the Department of Labor team is Josh Orton, assistant to Sanders, who had previously worked on the senator’s main campaign.

It is not known if Sanders has made much headway in his outreach, although like Levin, a former union organizer, has already garnered support from CWA Chairman Chris Shelton, who told Bloomberg on Monday he believed ” that there are a lot of unions who would throw their support behind (Levin). “

Walsh also began his political career in the workplace, eventually leading the Boston Building Trades, a group that represents unions of ironworkers and electricians, among others.

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