Thea Lee
Distinguished Visiting Practitioner | School of International Service, American University
Lee has been advocating for workers’ rights, both domestically and internationally, for over thirty years. She served as Deputy Undersecretary for International Affairs in the U.S. Department of Labor from 2021 to 2025. Prior to that she held positions at the Economic Policy Institute and at the AFL-CIO. She is co-author of The Field Guide to the Global Economy (The New Press), and has authored numerous publications on international workers’ rights, the North American Free Trade Agreement, the impact of international trade on U.S. wage inequality, and the domestic steel and textile industries.