President Biden joined employee advocates on the U.S. Division of Labor this week to designate a brand new nationwide monument in his honor Roosevelt’s Secretary of Labor, Frances Perkinswhich established a minimal wage, a 40-hour workweek, a ban on baby labor, and numerous different protections.
The gathering was additionally a possibility for the labor group to rejoice one other one among their fierce advocates: Biden’s performing Labor Secretary, Julie Sue.
“She has led the Division of Labor in a manner that Secretary Perkins can be happy with,” AFL-CIO President Liz Schuler mentioned in her introduction to Sue. “She has taken the battle to anybody who tries to take advantage of employees. She has stood by our unions. She has turned the DOL into a real home of labor.”
Nonetheless, Sue’s legacy will probably be marked with an asterisk. As a result of for all of the labor victories the Biden administration can declare, Sue’s affirmation as Labor Secretary is just not amongst them.
“This could have occurred two years in the past,” Schuler mentioned in an interview, including that Sue, like her predecessor Perkins, is considerably of an unsung hero.
“That is how ladies leaders usually find yourself in our historical past books – that their work is usually behind the scenes. It isn’t acknowledged and appreciated correctly.”
However even now, because the Biden period attracts to a detailed, Sue’s strongest supporters on Capitol Hill will not be giving up.
“I’m doing all the things in my energy to substantiate Julie Su as Secretary of Labor earlier than President Biden leaves workplace,” Illinois Sen. Tammy Duckworth wrote in an announcement to NPR. “This can signify lengthy overdue recognition of the nice work she has accomplished for years – with out the title she clearly deserves.”
Lengthy anticipate affirmation
Though Su was confirmed as deputy labor secretary alongside celebration traces in 2021, many senators who supported Su on the time weren’t on board along with her main the Labor Division. The passing of Marty Walshwhich was seen as extra reasonable, in early 2023.
By July of that yr, Republicans started to level out this paradox.
“Julie Sue has now waited longer to be confirmed by a Senate of the identical celebration because the President than any earlier Cupboard nominee,” Senate Republican Chief Mitch McConnell mentioned in his remarks.
It did not appear to matter to Sue. As performing secretary, she led the division by way of an bold rulemaking and enforcement agenda, all whereas participating in a collection of high-profile labor fights — on behalf of auto employees, Health care workersAnd flight attendants Loading and unloading workers.
“Labor Secretary Julie Su has been unbelievable,” Harold Daggett, president of the Worldwide Longshoremen’s Affiliation, mentioned on Fox Information through the East Coast dockers’ strike in October. “She’s knocking on doorways. She’s attempting to cease this. She’s attempting to get us to…the place we will have honest negotiations.”
Daggett known as off the strike two days later, after the 2 sides reached a wage settlement that gave dock employees a 62% pay improve over six years.
In an interview this week, Sue mentioned not voting for affirmation didn’t maintain her again. Beneath her management, the Labor Division raised greater than $1 billion for employees who skilled wage theft and issued new guidelines to guard farmworkers and miners. On January 13, one other rule is scheduled to take impact requiring development firms to offer security tools that correctly suits employees.
“For ladies development employees, this can assist save their lives,” Su says.
Final minute affirmation fee
Nonetheless, Sue’s failure to substantiate gave Republicans a possibility to harass her about it incessantly, as Biden and Republican officers have clashed over a federal regulation that usually limits how lengthy an official can serve in an performing capability.
“You are actually the longest-serving performing Secretary since earlier than the American Civil Warfare — a report that will have been higher left unbroken,” mentioned Rep. Virginia Foxx of North Carolina. When Su testified before the House Education and Workforce Committee On Could 1.
Consultant Eric Burleson from Missouri selected harsher phrases, calling Sue an “illegitimate secretary,” whereas Consultant Kevin Kelly from California known as on her to resign.
“That is getting ridiculous,” Kelly mentioned. “I’ve damaged all data as an unconfirmed candidate clinging to energy.” “I believe each affordable one who seems at this is aware of it is incorrect.”
The feedback angered Sue’s allies on Capitol Hill, together with Duckworth and Senator Mazie Hirono of Hawaii. In current weeks, they’ve been attempting to muster votes to substantiate her.
Simply final week, the Senate voted towards the reappointment of Loren McFerran, the Democratic chair of the Nationwide Labor Relations Board, primarily making certain that President-elect Donald Trump would have a Republican majority on the five-member board quickly after taking workplace. Impartial Senators Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema joined Republicans in voting no.
However in her assertion to NPR, Duckworth famous that she had 50 votes for Sue, writing that “it could be a disgrace if the Senate failed to substantiate her now that we’ve got the votes.”
In that case, the problem now could be to have time to vote – in actual fact, at the least two votes. Senate Majority Chief Chuck Schumer might want to schedule a procedural vote and permit time for dialogue earlier than a affirmation vote is held. Schumer’s workplace didn’t reply to questions on whether or not he plans to take action.
The Senate is scheduled to adjourn on December 20, and the brand new Senate shall be sworn in early subsequent yr.
What’s subsequent for the Division of Labor?
Sue’s largest concern proper now could be what comes subsequent for the Division of Labor. A The federal rule aims to protect workers from excessive heat It stays open for public remark. Su doubts the rule will finish beneath the subsequent administration.
“It’s unbelievable,” she says. “Employees are dying in development, in agricultural work, and likewise in indoor jobs as a result of it’s so sizzling.” “It is utterly preventable.”
Sue says that she exchanged letters with Trump’s nominee to succeed her on the Division of Labor, Lori Chavez De Rimer, Congresswoman from Oregon Who misplaced her re-election bid final month.
Though a lot of Chavez de Remer’s assist has been made for the PRO Act, a invoice geared toward making it simpler for employees to affix unions, it’s unclear the place she stands on a number of different insurance policies that the Biden administration has prioritized, together with Expanding protection for overtime for hundreds of thousands extra employees and restrict who may be categorized as unbiased contractors.
If confirmed, Chavez de Remer will take over as president Who was anti-union He campaigned on the promise of diminished regulation — at the same time as he gained the assist of enormous swaths of working-class voters and union members with guarantees of prosperity.
Sue additionally retains these individuals in thoughts.
“Our hope is that for the issues that we have been in a position to accomplish, that will probably be in a position to proceed in order that employees really feel the advantages. And for the issues that we’ve not been in a position to accomplish, the (Trump) administration says, ‘It is constructing on that basis,'” he added.
“We’ll see how true the acknowledged dedication to employees is.”
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