President plans to name Asian American to Labor Department's No. 2 post

California's Julie Su heading to Washington?

President Biden plans to nominate Julie Su as the Department of Labor’s No. 2 position as Deputy Secretary, according to a various news sources including Bloomberg Law and Politico.

Su has reportedly already accepted the nomination and a formal announcement of her selection is expected next week. Su currently serves as Secretary for the California Labor and Workforce Development Agency.

Asian American and Pacific Islander politicians and community leaders lobbied hard for Su to be named the DOL Secretary, a position that eventually went to Boston Mayor Marty Walsh, who was backed by the AFL-CIO. 

As a result of Biden's choice, his Presidential cabinet is the first in 20 years to not include an AAPI in one of the 15 Secretary positions despite his campaign promise to have his cabinet "look like America."

The Deputy Secretary is usually tasked with the day-to-day operation of the department.

She will come in during a particular tough time for workers facing record unemployment and the need for workplace health safety measures to combat the spread of the coronavirus. Friday (Feb. 5), the House narrowly rejected Biden's proposal to raise the minimum wage to $15 that was part of the stiimulus bill. 

Su's reported selection will probably not appease her AAPI supporters but it might help smooth some ruffled feathers of those who felt the AAPI community was overlooked in the selection process.

Biden did nominate Neera Tanden to head the Office of Management and Budget and Katherine Tai as the U.S. Trade Representative, both Cabinet-level posts and this was acknowledged by Rep. Judy Chu, chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus.

"We are very proud of them too, but there is a difference between a Cabinet-level position versus a Cabinet secretary — the number of employees that you cover, the policies that you cover, the budget that you have," Chu told Vox. "Also, you are in the presidential line of succession, whereas the Cabinet-level appointments are not.

"So this is not to say that the Cabinet-level positions are any less important. But we know that the Cabinet secretaries are extremely important for the future of this country and that we deserve to be there with our seat at the table where the decisions are being made."

Su was appointed by California Gov. Gavin Newsom, as the Secretary for the California Labor and Workforce Development Agency (LWDA). The LWDA enforces workplace laws, combats wage theft, ensures health and safety on the job, connects Californians to quality jobs and career pathways, and administers unemployment insurance, workers compensation and paid family leave. LWDA oversees seven major departments, boards, and panels that serve California workers and businesses by improving access to training, promoting high road jobs, eliminating barriers to employment, and creating a level playing field for employers.

Su is a nationally recognized expert on workers’ rights and civil rights who has dedicated her distinguished legal career to advancing justice on behalf of poor and disenfranchised communities and is a past recipient of a MacArthur Foundation “genius” grant.

As California Labor Commissioner from 2011 through 2018, Su enforced the State’s labor laws to ensure a fair and just workplace for both employees and employers. A report on her tenure released in May 2013 found that her leadership has resulted in a renaissance in enforcement activity and record-setting results. In 2014, she launched the first “Wage Theft Is a Crime” multimedia, multilingual statewide campaign to reach out to low-wage workers and their employers to help them understand their rights and feel safe speaking up about labor law abuses.

Prior to her appointment as California Labor Commissioner, Su was the Litigation Director at Asian Americans Advancing Justice-Los Angeles, the nation’s largest non-profit civil rights organization devoted to issues affecting the Asian American community. In this position she garnered nationwide attention when she won a case on behalf of garment workers. The case led to the passage in California of the toughest anti-sweatshop law in the country. 

Su is known for pioneering a multi-strategy approach that combines successful impact litigation with multiracial organizing, community education, policy reform, coalition building, and media work.