President Trump will nominate Keith E. Sonderling to serve as Secretary of Labor, according to a June 29 announcement. Sonderling currently serves as Acting Secretary and Deputy Secretary at DOL.
Sonderling previously served as a Commissioner (2020-2024) and Vice Chair (2020-2021) of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. During the first Trump Administration, he served as Deputy and Acting Administrator of DOL’s Wage and Hour Division. Sonderling has spoken at several policy conferences held by the Center for Workplace Compliance (CWC), our affiliated nonprofit membership association.
Sonderling’s nomination signals the President’s confidence in his leadership of DOL following former Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer’s resignation in April. Because Sonderling already serves as Acting Secretary, employers should expect continuity rather than a major shift in direction. It remains unclear how quickly the Senate will consider the nomination.
CWC members can use CWC’s nominations and appointments tracker resource to follow Sonderling’s nomination process. Members can read more here.