Overview
- Alexis Herman, who served as U.S. Secretary of Labor from 1997 to 2001 under President Bill Clinton, has died at the age of 77, as announced by the Labor Department.
- Herman was instrumental in mediating the 1997 UPS strike involving 185,000 workers, achieving a resolution that included wage increases and more full-time positions.
- During her tenure, she championed initiatives like raising the federal minimum wage twice and overseeing the Workforce Investment Act of 1998, which expanded training programs for low-income Americans.
- Her early life in segregated Alabama, marked by her father's civil rights activism and encounters with racial violence, shaped her lifelong commitment to equality and labor rights.
- Tributes from labor leaders, politicians, and activists highlight her enduring legacy as a trailblazer who broke racial and gender barriers in public service.