Top Biden labor adviser Celeste Drake reportedly has left the White House.
It is unclear when Ms. Drake, who was the deputy director for labor issues at the National Economic Council, departed the White House. The White House did not respond to a request for comment from The Epoch Times.
Ms. Drake has been appointed as Deputy Director-General of the International Labour Organization, a U.N. agency based in Geneva, Switzerland. An ILO spokesperson confirmed to The Epoch Times the move. She will begin her new job on Aug. 14, reported Reuters.
Ms. Drake served as President Joe Biden’s first Made in America Director, a position created by Mr. Biden to promote and encourage American manufacturing. She previously was the Executive in Charge of Government Affairs for the Directors Guild of America, which avoided a strike this year as the Writers Guild of America and Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) have been on strike for more than 100 days and over a month, respectively.
Additionally, according to the White House, Ms. “Drake has led efforts to reform the labor rules in the NAFTA/USMCA, to convince the U.S. government to address labor rights violations in Bangladesh, Thailand, Fiji, and Georgia, and to reform the process by which Congress oversees and approves trade agreements to protect American jobs.”
“She was involved deeply on some of the most consequential labor negotiations that we’ve seen from ports to railways, and also in crafting policy around how to support workers,” former National Economic Council Director Brian Deese told Reuters.
At the White House, Ms. Drake helped avert a railroad strike in 2022.
Ms. Drake’s departure comes as there have been other strikes nationwide. It also comes as Acting Labor Secretary Julie Su appears to not have the votes needed for Senate confirmation to serve as permanent head of the department.
Nonetheless, the end of Ms. Drake’s tenure comes as, ahead of the 2024 election, the Biden-Harris reelection ticket has gotten union endorsements.
This development is under the Davis-Bacon Act of 1931 that pertains to “contractors and subcontractors performing on federally funded or assisted contracts in excess of $2,000 for the construction, alteration, or repair (including painting and decorating) of public buildings or public works,” according to the Department of Labor.
Under the new rule, “contractors and subcontractors must pay their laborers and mechanics employed under the contract no less than the locally prevailing wages and fringe benefits for corresponding work on similar projects in the area,” according to the Department of Labor.
The last time labor rules were updated was under President Ronald Reagan in 1983.
