The U.S. Senate has confirmed Keith Sonderling as the U.S. Secretary of Labor.
Sonderling has served as Deputy Labor Secretary since March 2025 and as Acting Secretary since April of this year. He brings years of experience at the Department of Labor (DOL) to the role.
“In his leadership roles at DOL, Keith Sonderling has shown a commitment to working with the IAFF to improve the working conditions of America’s fire fighters,” General President Edward Kelly said. “We look forward to working with him to ensure the health, safety, and well-being of our members.”
Sonderling has repeatedly committed to supporting key IAFF priorities, including the proposed Emergency Response Standard (ERS) – the first major update to federal fire fighter safety standards since the 1980s – and the national Fire and EMS Apprenticeship Program.
In his leadership roles at DOL, Keith Sonderling has shown a commitment to working with the IAFF to improve the working conditions of America’s fire fighters. We look forward to working with him to ensure the health, safety, and well-being of our members.
General President Edward Kelly
Sonderling recently joined IAFF members at the 58th Convention in Arlington, Texas, for a panel discussion with Kelly, General Secretary-Treasurer Frank Líma, and DOL Inspector General Anthony DeEsposito. During the discussion, he reaffirmed his commitment to advancing the ERS and other key IAFF priorities.
“[The ERS] is very important to this administration, and we really want to get it right,” Sonderling told delegates. “Our first and foremost goal with this rule is to make sure that fire fighters are safe. Period.”
Prior to his role as Deputy Labor Secretary, Sonderling served as a Commissioner of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and as Acting Administrator of DOL’s Wage and Hour Division during the first Trump administration. Before entering government, he practiced labor and employment law and taught at George Washington University Law School.
