Julie Su Acting United States Secretary of Labor | Official Website
President Joe Biden, Acting Secretary of Labor Julie Su, and Department of the Interior Secretary Deb Haaland have announced the designation of the Frances Perkins National Monument in Newcastle, Maine. This site is the family homestead of Frances Perkins, a former Secretary of Labor who was notable for being the first woman to serve as a cabinet secretary and for her long tenure in that role.
Acting Secretary Su issued a statement on this occasion: “Honoring Frances Perkins with a national monument does more than acknowledge her work to establish Social Security, unemployment insurance, minimum wage and overtime pay, it is a challenge for us,” she said. “We must all remember that the gains we enjoy today were not gifts, they were hard-fought victories because Frances Perkins dared to believe that workers should thrive and not just survive.”
Perkins served as the nation's fourth Labor Secretary and was an influential figure during President Franklin D. Roosevelt's administration. She played a pivotal role in crafting the New Deal—a collection of domestic programs designed to address economic challenges during the Great Depression. Her efforts significantly contributed to reducing poverty levels by providing social service benefits to millions.
The newly designated Frances Perkins National Monument has been owned by her family for 270 years and will now be managed by the National Park Service.
