U.S. Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer had a homecoming of sorts on Friday, visiting the San Joaquin Valley to visit local workers and employers as part of a fact-finding swing through the Golden State.
Chavez-DeRemer, joined by Valley Rep. Vince Fong (R-Bakersfield) participated in a roundtable with workforce development leaders, employers, and workers, along with touring facilities for California Resources Corporation in Bakersfield.
Hanford native returns to the Valley: The Trump administration’s Labor chief, a Hanford native, recalled her personal connection to the Valley’s workforce, having started her career packing peaches. She graduated from Hanford High in 1986 and subsequently earned a business degree from Fresno State.
- Chavez-DeRemer made her home in Oregon and ultimately represented the state for a single term in Congress before being appointed to the Cabinet of President Donald Trump.
America At Work: The Labor Secretary’s visit to the Valley coincided with President Trump’s first 100 days in office.
- Visiting Wawona Frozen Foods in Clovis, Chavez-DeRemer wasted little time highlighting the 9,000 new manufacturing jobs created by the Trump administration and a total of 228,000 new jobs added last month.
- Chavez-DeRemer and Fong took soundings from local business owners, along with Fresno Economic Development Corporation chief Will Oliver, and State Center Community College Chancellor Dr. Carole Goldsmith about regional workforce development efforts.
What they’re saying: “I really call [President Trump] the president of the American worker. Because this is his focus, and it’s exactly why he nominated me to do this job, to change the way we do business in this country,” Secretary Chavez-DeRemer said during the Clovis roundtable discussion.
- She noted that, despite stepped-up immigration enforcement, there’s a focus on ensuring the Valley’s farm sector has the workforce it needs to feed the nation and world, too.
- “We don’t want to displace the American worker, but we certainly need to supplement and complement American businesses where they need it most,” the Labor Secretary said. “We know there’s a lot of agricultural industries all across the country – Very finite amount of time to get products in and out, and we need the workforce to do that.”
