The Seafarers International Union has warmly welcomed the news that President-Elect Donald Trump has named Elaine L. Chao to be the next United States Secretary of Transportation.
Chao, who most recently served as Secretary of Labor under President George W. Bush, is also a former Deputy Administrator of DOT’s Maritime Administration, former Chair of the Federal Maritime Commission and served as Deputy Secretary of DOT during the George H.W. Bush administration.
Michael Sacco, President of the Seafarers, said, “There is nobody better qualified to be Secretary of Transportation than Elaine Chao. Throughout her time in government, Elaine Chao has long been a steadfast friend to the SIU and to maritime labor. The industry has no better supporter than Elaine Chao, and she has stood up to defend the Jones Act, the Maritime Security Program, cargo preference and the other key programs that keep our industry alive. She understands the importance of providing jobs to America’s working families, and she has seen firsthand the value of the United States Merchant Marine to our nation’s defense and prosperity. We look forward to working with her again.”
Secretary Chao was a frequent speaker at the Maritime Trades Department as well as at SIU and our affiliates’ conventions, and has been a familiar face at the SIU’s affiliated training school in Piney Point, Maryland. She will serve as the nation’s 18th Secretary of Transportation after her confirmation by the Senate next year.
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