Chavez-DeRemer, who recently represented Oregon in Congress, has often been one of the lone Republican supporters of various pro-union bills and has advocated for improvements to the child care system.

Working-class voters helped Republicans make steady election gains this year and expanded a coalition that increasingly includes rank-and-file union members.

President-elect Donald Trump’s pick of Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer to lead the Labor Department could signal a break from the GOP’s traditionally adversarial stance toward unions. Chavez-DeRemer, who narrowly lost her re-election bid to represent an Oregon district this month,

President-elect Donald Trump's pick for Labor Secretary, Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer (R-Ore.), appears to be a genuine union supporter and that's freaking out some business groups and conservative advocates.

DeRemer’s nomination as Labor Secretary has disappointed business groups and union-skeptical GOP lawmakers, but it’s unclear whether she will provide a shift in policy.