Secretary Marty Walsh will be departing the Department of Labor (DOL) sources confirmed on Tuesday. Walsh’s departure leaves DOL Deputy Secretary Julie Su as acting head of the agency. Formerly the Secretary of Labor in California, Su supported California’s anti-gig-worker legislation, A.B. 5, which Californians voted to annul with Prop 22.

“Secretary Walsh recognized gig workers as an important part of the workforce with a unique need for flexible work,” said Chamber of Progress CEO Adam Kovacevich. “It’s critical that the next Labor Secretary recognize the value of gig work. Unfortunately, Deputy Secretary Su’s history in California raises questions about whether she would respect the will of gig workers who wish to remain independent.”

A gig work policy analysis published by Chamber of Progress found that if the federal government were to pursue the forced reclassification of independent contractors as full-time employees, an estimated 3.4 million American workers could lose work and direct income.

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