Board Chair David Bonior and Acting Executive Director Kimberly Freeman to lead organization

WASHINGTON, DC— America’s workers gain another ally in the Obama Administration next week as long-time workers’ rights advocate and Executive Director of American Rights at Work Mary Beth Maxwell joins the administration as a Senior Advisor at the Department of Labor. In her new capacity, Maxwell will work with the White House Task Force on Middle Class Working Families, an Administration initiative targeted at raising the living standards of middle-class families by restoring labor standards, improving workplace safety, enhancing work and family balance, protecting retirement security, and helping protect middle- and working-class incomes.

American Rights at Work Board Chair David Bonior will continue to lead the organization with Deputy Director Kimberly Freeman, who will serve as Acting Executive Director. Bonior says American Rights at Work will carry on advocating for labor law reform. “The Employee Free Choice Act campaign is as strong as ever,” says Bonior. “Mary Beth helped create a solid foundation that we will build on. And her knowledge and experience will aid the administration and the Labor Department in supporting this and other policies to benefit working families throughout the country.”

Says Wade Henderson, President and CEO of the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights and American Rights at Work board member, “I’ve worked closely with Mary Beth over the last five years and commend her ability to unite people around the goal of bringing dignity, respect, and fairness back into the workplace. She’s a true champion of working people and a great addition to the Labor Department team.”