Cathy Creighton

Director of Cornell University ILR Buffalo Co-Lab

Cathy Creighton, director of the Cornell University School of Industrial and Labor Relations Buffalo Co-Lab, says Secretary Chavez-DeRemer spent her time in the labor department dismantling protections around the American workforce. 

Creighton says:

“Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer sat by as her department’s budget was slashed, as worker protections for other agencies were dismantled, supported the Trump Administration’s attempt to annihilate the federal workforces’ unions, and placed a three-story portrait of the president on the DOL building.  

“In May 2025, the DOL stated it would not enforce a 2024 rule which made it harder for employers to misclassify their workers as independent contractors. Workers who are misclassified as independent contractors lose out on critical protections, benefits, and labor rights including minimum wage, overtime pay, unemployment insurance. 

“July 1, 2025, the DOL announced several regulatory proposals and administrative changes that would overturn or weaken dozens of worker protection regulations, ranging from pay protections to workplace safety standards. These included, among others: Taking away the right of home care workers and domestic workers to earn overtime pay, rolling back expanded labor protections for farm workers on temporary guest worker visa, and withdrawing a proposed rule that would stop subminimum pay for workers with disabilities.   

“The Big Beautiful Bill adopted changes consistent with Project 2025 by encouraging states to adopt right to work language, reducing DOL funding, and eliminating support for union apprenticeship programs and building trades training."