WASHINGTON — President-elect Donald Trump’s selection to lead the Department of Labor might provide an opening for unions to work with Republicans that have traditionally been opposed to organized labor and bolster Trump’s standing with working-class voters who have shifted from Democrats over the last several years.

Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer, who lost reelection earlier this month, was one of just three Republicans to co-sponsor a Democratic bill that would expand collective bargaining rights and overrule state-level right-to-work laws.

If confirmed, she would oversee rulemaking that governs unions, workplaces and their safety standards and the occupational Safety and Health Administration, while also providing guidance on appointments to the National Labor Relations Board that oversees union organizing.

Chavez-DeRemer’s selection over candidates who are more aligned with traditional pro-business Republicans has raised questions about whether the party will go through a shift under a second Trump administration and be more open to working with organized labor.

“It’s a change from the sort of people he appointed at the Labor Department in his first term, so it’s certainly a different approach. It’s hard to figure out quite what to make of it, but I’d say it’s certainly a better pick than a lot of people were expecting from a union-labor perspective,” said Paul Clark, professor of labor and employment relations at Penn State University.

It comes as Trump has tried to appeal to working-class voters and union workers with vows to restore American’s manufacturing sector with tariffs on foreign companies, cutting taxes for workers and raising wages through more U.S.-based manufacturing.

While that didn’t result in Trump winning endorsements from most unions or a majority of union households in the 2024 election, he has made gains among their rank-and-file members. His announcement of her nomination did not mention her stance on unions.

“Lori has worked tirelessly with both Business and Labor to build America’s workforce, and support the hardworking men and women of America,” Trump said in a statement announcing her selection. “I look forward to working with her to create tremendous opportunity for American Workers, to expand Training and Apprenticeships, to grow wages and improve working conditions, to bring back our Manufacturing jobs.”

Most unions are still aligned with Democrats, who have expanded protections and rights to organize under President Joe Biden, but there were some cracks in the coalition during the 2024 election. Two major unions, the Teamsters and International Association of Fire Fighters, opted against endorsing either candidate in 2024 and more of the rank-and-file members have shifted their political support for Trump.

The realignment of working-class voters to Trump and other Republicans has been one of the most highly scrutinized elements of the 2024 election as Democrats try to chart their path forward. The president-elect said little about organized labor in his campaign, but did meet with several union leaders and invited Teamsters leader Sean O’Brien to speak at the Republican National Convention.

O’Brien has been publicly supportive of Chavez-DeRemer’s nomination.

“Thank you @realDonaldTrump for putting American workers first by nominating Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer for US Labor Secretary,” O’Brien wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. “North America’s strongest union is ready to work with you every step of the way to expand good union jobs and rebuild our nation’s middle class. Let’s get to work.”

Her nomination has disappointed business groups and union-skeptical GOP lawmakers, but it’s unclear whether she will provide a shift in policy from Trump’s first term in the White House. While she would oversee the Labor Department, cabinet secretaries also work to advance an administration’s agenda.

Who Trump appoints to lead the NLRB, still unclear, will be another signal of how his administration intends to handle labor issues moving forward. He is likely to replace the board’s general counsel and give it a GOP majority that is more likely to side with businesses in organizing disputes.

There are also concerns among unions that the incoming administration could strip job protections from federal civil servants and collective bargaining rights for public sector workers.

Becky Pringle, president of the Nation Education Association, the country’s largest union, said Chavez-DeRemer’s record “record stands in stark contrast to Donald Trump’s anti-worker, anti-union record, and his extreme Project 2025 agenda that would gut workplace protections, make it harder for workers to unionize, and diminish the voice of working people.”

Her nomination has also been met with objections to her support for the Protecting the Right to Organize Act, which they have framed as a bill that would kill jobs and hurt businesses. The National Right to Work Committee and Coalition for a Democratic Workplace, pro-business groups, lobbied Trump against nominating Chavez-DeRemer.

“A Secretary of Labor should work to protect workers and employers’ rights and promote economic growth. Chavez-DeRemer’s support of the PRO Act raises legitimate concerns about her possible nomination. We hope President-Elect Trump gives careful consideration to her past support of this anti-worker, anti-business legislation as he evaluates her candidacy,” CDW Chair Kristen Swearingen said in a statement prior to the announcement.

Have a news tip? Contact Austin Denean at atdenean@sbgtv.com or at x.com/austindenean.