NEWSWEEK • October 4, 2024
During her 12 years as secretary of labor, Frances Perkins transformed work in the United States. She advised President Franklin D. Roosevelt on creating a public works program that put unemployed Americans back to work building critical infrastructure across the country. She was the powerhouse behind many of Roosevelt's New Deal programs, establishing a federal minimum wage and overtime pay and banning child labor exploitation. And she was the chair of the committee, which created the blueprint for Social Security. As the first woman to lead the AFL-CIO, the nation's largest federation of labor unions, I am deeply inspired by the example that Secretary Perkins set. President Joe Biden has an opportunity to recognize her remarkable legacy by designating the Perkins Homestead in Newcastle, Maine, as a national monument. ~ Liz Shuler, president, AFL-CIO