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

Despite some union leaders welcoming the nomination of Republican Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer to lead the Labor Department, there is still trepidation as to what lies ahead for the rules, regulations and enforcement strategy for American workers.

Nonetheless, the national AFL-CIO rates her performance on labor issues poorly — she currently has a 10 percent legislative score in the union group’s annual ranking of lawmakers. POLITICO first reported on Tuesday that Teamsters President Sean O ...