Washington, D.C. (April 7, 2025) — Brent Booker, general president of the Laborers’ International Union of North America (LIUNA), made the following statement today regarding the move by U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to slash the staff of NIOSH:

The decision by U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to eliminate most staff at a key institute that safeguards the health and safety of workers is an unacceptable threat to the more than a half-million members of LIUNA, and to all working men and women who build and service our great nation.

For more than 50 years, the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) has protected and stood up for workers facing jobsite dangers — from those still suffering from the 9/11 Twin Towers cleanup to those who face chemical and extreme heat hazards, and more. These men and women are the backbone of America.

They build our infrastructure, respond to emergencies, and face disease, injury and risks in the line of duty.

LIUNA calls on Secretary Kennedy to reassess this damaging and dangerous action and immediately restore full support for NIOSH’s vital mission. We must preserve our nation's most precious resource — its people, whose labor fuels our prosperity.

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The more than a half-million members of LIUNA – the Laborers’ International Union of North America – are on the forefront of the construction industry, a powerhouse of workers who are proud to build the U.S. and Canada.