{"id":60228,"date":"2025-10-01T17:00:09","date_gmt":"2025-10-01T16:00:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.fairlabor.org\/?p=60228"},"modified":"2025-10-01T17:00:12","modified_gmt":"2025-10-01T16:00:12","slug":"fair-labor-association-welcomes-new-board-chair-chris-lu","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.fairlabor.org\/fair-labor-association-welcomes-new-board-chair-chris-lu\/","title":{"rendered":"Fair Labor Association welcomes new Board Chair Chris Lu"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Former Ambassador, Deputy Secretary of Labor will lead board dedicated to improving the lives of workers worldwide<\/em><\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

WASHINGTON, DC, October 1, 2025 <\/strong>\u2014 The Fair Labor Association (FLA) today announced that former U.S. Deputy Secretary of Labor and U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations for Management and Reform Chris Lu has been selected to chair the FLA Board of Directors, effective November 1, 2025. Lu will succeed Michael Posner, who has served as FLA Board Chair since 2017.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am thrilled that Chris has agreed to serve as FLA\u2019s board chair,\u201d said Posner, who led the search process. \u201cHe brings a lifelong commitment to public service and has served with great distinction in senior roles in both national and international affairs. At this challenging time, when vulnerable workers are not getting the protections they deserve, Chris\u2019 principled pragmatism is exactly what is needed to lead FLA forward to meet this moment.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFor more than a quarter-century, the Fair Labor Association has brought together corporations, universities, and civil society organizations to fight for better working conditions around the world,\u201d said Lu. \u201cFrom raising wages and working conditions in factories and fields, to combating child and forced labor, FLA has tackled some of the most critical labor issues by promoting transparency, accountability, and education. I look forward to building on Mike Posner\u2019s impressive record of success as we work towards a more fair labor future.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In his new role, Lu will lead FLA\u2019s Board of Directors as it develops policies to hold companies accountable to their commitments on labor rights and support innovation that leads to concrete improvements in the lives of workers around the world. With more than 200 members based in 21 countries, FLA has united companies, universities, and civil society organizations that are committed to protecting workers\u2019 rights through adherence to international labor standards since it was founded in 1999.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cChris has a strong record of consensus-building and strategic leadership on both labor and international affairs, and he brings insight into key trends that will shape FLA\u2019s work going forward,\u201d said FLA President and CEO Jeff Vockrodt. \u201cWith his experience, expertise, and personal commitment to empowering workers, he will help us continue to move the organization forward, building on Mike\u2019s legacy as chair and making a difference in the lives of millions of workers who might otherwise be underpaid, overworked, and overlooked.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lu served most recently as the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations for Management and Reform, where he led negotiations on the UN budget, coordinated oversight of UN programs, served as the U.S. Mission\u2019s liaison to the private sector, and managed cross-cutting issues, including global AI policy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAt the United Nations, Chris helped navigate some of the world\u2019s most complex challenges, including leading the first-ever UN resolution on artificial intelligence \u2013 a true milestone,\u201d said former U.S. Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield. \u201cHis gift for diplomacy and bridge-building, along with his creativity and persistence, will serve him well as he takes on the chairmanship of the Fair Labor Association.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From 2014 to 2017, Lu served as the Deputy Secretary of Labor, where he worked with a broad range of stakeholders to advance the Labor Department\u2019s mission, and served as the Department\u2019s chief operating officer, overseeing its 17,000 employees and $12 billion budget.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cChris was an indispensable partner in driving pro-worker policies,\u201d said former Secretary of Labor Tom Perez. \u201cHe is a thoughtful leader who knows how to bring people together to solve tough problems. The Fair Labor Association will benefit enormously from his vision and steady hand.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lu\u2019s previous roles include White House Cabinet Secretary, executive director of the 2008 presidential transition, legislative director for then-Senator Obama, deputy chief counsel to the House Oversight Committee, and law clerk at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. He is currently the James R. Schlesinger Distinguished Professor at the University of Virginia Miller Center, a position he will continue to hold while serving as FLA Board Chair.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lu currently is a member of the Human Rights Advisory Council at Microsoft and previously served on the board of the American Sustainable Business Network. He is a graduate of Princeton University and Harvard Law School.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The Fair Labor Association (FLA) promotes human rights at work. We are an international network of companies, universities, and civil society organizations collaborating to ensure that millions of people working at the world\u2019s factories and farms are paid fairly and protected from risks to their health, safety, and well-being.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

CONTACT:<\/strong>
Stacy Hope
communications@fairlabor.org<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Additional Support for Lu’s Appointment<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Guy Ryder, Former Director-General, International Labor Organization (ILO):<\/strong> \u201cWorking alongside Chris at the ILO, I saw how deeply he cares about bringing together workers, employers, and governments to improve labor standards. He has a real gift for listening, finding common ground, and turning that into results, and I\u2019m delighted that he\u2019s been chosen to chair the Fair Labor Association.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cathy Feingold, Director, AFL-CIO International Department: <\/strong>\u201cChris understands deeply that raising labor standards for workers around the world benefits workers here at home. His commitment to concrete improvements for workers, along with his economic and international affairs expertise, makes him an important ally on labor rights and labor standards.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Whitney Young Baird, President and CEO, U.S. Council for International Business: <\/strong>\u201cChris is a thoughtful diplomat who understands the needs and contributions of the private sector. In his time at the United Nations, he helped ensure that the business voice was in the room for important conversations so that we could work collaboratively with all stakeholders to achieve meaningful results on critical economic issues.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

David Levine, Co-founder & President, American Sustainable Business Network (ASBN):<\/strong> \u201cChris has long been a champion of fair labor practices and sustainable business. As a board member of ASBN, he helped advance a vision of values-driven workplaces that benefits both businesses and workers. We are thrilled to see him bring this experience and commitment to his new role as chair of the Fair Labor Association.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kelly Fay Rodriguez, former U.S. State Department Special Representative for International Labor Affairs:<\/strong> \u201cChris brings strategic leadership and expertise in foreign policy, economics and labor standards to this new role, but he also brings real hands-on experience from working with worker leaders and companies to achieve systemic progress over the years. His vision and experience will help serve workers and businesses alike with improving labor conditions and sustainability in global supply chains.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rep. Grace Meng (NY-06):<\/strong> \u201cI commend the selection of Chris Lu as the next Chair of the Board at the Fair Labor Association. Throughout his career, Chris has worked tirelessly to uplift forgotten communities and expand economic opportunity. I am confident that his dedication to these values will continue as he leads the Fair Labor Association\u2019s efforts to strengthen working conditions in the footwear, apparel, and agricultural industries.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":21,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[721],"tags":[],"location":[],"members":[],"partner":[],"class_list":["post-60228","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-fair-labor"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fairlabor.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/60228","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fairlabor.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fairlabor.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fairlabor.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/21"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fairlabor.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=60228"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.fairlabor.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/60228\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":60249,"href":"https:\/\/www.fairlabor.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/60228\/revisions\/60249"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fairlabor.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=60228"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fairlabor.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=60228"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fairlabor.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=60228"},{"taxonomy":"location","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fairlabor.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/location?post=60228"},{"taxonomy":"members","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fairlabor.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/members?post=60228"},{"taxonomy":"partner","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fairlabor.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/partner?post=60228"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}