Marty Walsh Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Marty Walsh
Official portrait, 2021

6th Executive Director of the National Hockey League Players' Association
Incumbent
Assumed office March 13, 2023
Preceded by	Donald Fehr
29th United States Secretary of Labor
In office March 23, 2021 – March 11, 2023
President	Joe Biden
Deputy	Julie Su
Preceded by	Eugene Scalia Al Stewart (acting)
Succeeded by	Lori Chavez-DeRemer Julie Su (acting)
58th Mayor of Boston
In office January 6, 2014 – March 22, 2021
Preceded by	Thomas Menino
Succeeded by	Michelle Wu Kim Janey (acting)
Member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives from the 13th Suffolk district
In office April 12, 1997 – January 3, 2014
Preceded by	James T. Brett
Succeeded by	Daniel J. Hunt
General Agent of the Boston Building Trades Council
In office January 2011 – April 2013
Preceded by	James Coyle
Succeeded by	Brian Doherty

Personal details
Born	Martin Joseph Walsh (1967-04-10) April 10, 1967 (age 58) Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
Citizenship	United States Ireland
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	Lorrie Higgins (m. 2024)
Education	Boston College (BA)

Martin "Marty" Joseph Walsh (born April 10, 1967) is an American leader who has worked in politics and for workers' rights. He was the 58th mayor of Boston from 2014 to 2021 and the 29th United States Secretary of Labor from 2021 to 2023. As a member of the Democratic Party, Walsh has had a long career serving the public.

Before becoming mayor, Walsh was a member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives for 17 years. He also worked his way up to become a leader for construction workers' unions in Boston. In March 2023, he became the executive director of the National Hockey League Players' Association (NHLPA), the union that represents professional hockey players.

Early Life and Education
Career in Massachusetts Politics
- State Representative (1997–2014)
- Mayor of Boston (2014–2021)
U.S. Secretary of Labor (2021–2023)
Leader of the NHL Players' Association (2023–Present)
Personal Life
Images for kids
See also

Early Life and Education

Marty Walsh was born on April 10, 1967, in the Dorchester neighborhood of Boston. His parents, John and Mary Walsh, were immigrants from Ireland. They came to the United States in the 1950s and married in 1959. Walsh grew up in a three-story home in Dorchester's Savin Hill area.

When he was seven years old, Walsh was diagnosed with a serious illness called Burkitt's lymphoma. He had to miss a lot of school and repeat the fifth grade. After years of medical treatment, he was cancer-free by age 11.

After high school, Walsh worked in construction. He later went back to school as an adult, taking night classes. In 2009, he earned a bachelor's degree from Boston College.

Career in Massachusetts Politics

Martin Walsh Massachusetts House of Representatives

Walsh as a member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives

Walsh's career in government began in his home state of Massachusetts. He served his community first as a state representative and later as the mayor of Boston.

State Representative (1997–2014)

In 1997, Walsh won a special election to become a state representative for the 13th Suffolk district, which included his neighborhood of Dorchester. He was reelected eight times, serving for a total of 17 years.

During his time in the state house, Walsh worked on many important issues. He was known for supporting same-sex marriage, calling his vote on the issue "the proudest vote I ever took." He also supported a major healthcare reform law in Massachusetts in 2006. This law aimed to make sure more people in the state had health insurance.

Mayor of Boston (2014–2021)

Walsh gives a victory speech after being reelected as mayor in 2017.

In 2013, Walsh ran for Mayor of Boston and won. He was reelected in 2017. As mayor, he focused on improving the city's economy and creating new opportunities for residents.

During his time as mayor, Boston saw a lot of new construction and development. Walsh worked with companies to bring jobs to the city. In 2016, he helped make a deal for General Electric to move its main office to Boston. He also supported policies to help city workers, such as giving them paid time off after having a child.

Walsh also dealt with major challenges. He worked to address the problem of homelessness in the city. When the COVID-19 pandemic began in 2020, he led Boston's response. He set up safety rules, provided regular updates to the public, and created funds to help people and businesses affected by the pandemic.

U.S. Secretary of Labor (2021–2023)

Walsh is sworn in as Secretary of Labor by Vice President Kamala Harris in March 2021. His partner, Lorrie Higgins, holds the Bible.

In January 2021, President-elect Joe Biden chose Walsh to be his United States Secretary of Labor. The U.S. Senate confirmed him in March 2021. The Secretary of Labor is in charge of the department that protects workers' rights, job safety, and wages.

Walsh was the first former union leader to hold this position in nearly 50 years. As secretary, he worked to help unions and protect workers. He visited workers on strike to show his support and helped settle disagreements between workers and companies. For example, he helped end a long strike by nurses in Massachusetts.

He also helped update rules to protect workers. One rule change made sure that workers who earn tips, like waiters, would receive the full minimum wage if they spent a lot of time on non-tipped tasks. Walsh left the position in March 2023 for a new role.

Leader of the NHL Players' Association (2023–Present)

President Biden and Walsh in September 2022, during Walsh's time as Secretary of Labor.

In March 2023, Walsh became the executive director of the National Hockey League Players' Association (NHLPA). The NHLPA is the union for all professional ice hockey players in the NHL. In this job, he represents the players in discussions with the league.

One of his first big achievements was helping to make an agreement for NHL players to compete in the 2026 and 2030 Winter Olympics.

In 2025, Walsh helped negotiate a new four-year contract between the players and the NHL. This contract, called a collective bargaining agreement, sets the rules for player salaries, game schedules, and working conditions. The new agreement will increase the minimum player salary to $1 million and expand the regular season from 82 to 84 games.

Personal Life

For many years, Walsh's partner was Lorrie Higgins. In March 2024, they got married. They live in the Lower Mills neighborhood of Dorchester in Boston.

Walsh is a Roman Catholic. He holds both American and Irish citizenship and can speak the Irish language. He is a big sports fan and has been a season ticket holder for the New England Patriots football team since 1994.

Images for kids

Walsh (center right) at a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a renovated train station in 2005.
Walsh speaking in 2009 as a state representative.
Walsh speaking at an event in 2010.
Walsh speaking to union volunteers in 2012.
Walsh speaks at an event in 2015 during his time as mayor.
Walsh with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and a Chinese official at a climate summit in Beijing.
Walsh looks at electric vehicle charging equipment in October 2022.
Walsh speaking at the 2022 AFL–CIO convention.
Walsh visits the Port of Long Beach in November 2021.
Walsh giving a graduation speech in 2014.