AAPI community cheers Julie Su's approval by U.S. Senate

Deputy Secretary of the Department of Labor Julie Su.

When Julie Su was approved last week to be the next Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Department of Labor, a collective cheer went up from the Asian American community that supported her nomination.

AAPI politicians and special interests lobbied hard to get Su for the post of Secretary of Labor in Biden's Cabinet. As Biden's Cabinet was being filled out, Su was the AAPI community's best hope to win a position in the Cabinet as the Labor Secretary. The  position was among the last Secretary-level post to get filled. It eventually went to Boston Mayor Marty Walsh.

The loudest cheer for Su's appointment came from Asian Americans Advancing Justice, a nonprofit legal advocacy coalition, where Su worked as the group's Litigation Director.

It was during her tenure at AAAJ that she won one of her best known cases. the Thai Garment Workers Case (Bureerong v. Uvawas). As a member of the legal team that filed a lawsuit on behalf of 102 Thai garment workers who had been exploited and enslaved by sweatshop operators. 

"Julie’s leadership expanded workers’ rights in the state of California and nationally," said AAAJ in a statement. "The suit challenged the sweatshop operators, as well as the retailers and manufacturers that profited off their labor. This was the first federal lawsuit of its kind, not only setting the precedent in holding manufacturers and retailers accountable for the conditions in which their clothes are made but leading to new federal laws protecting immigrants who are trafficked into the country." 

In May 1999, the case ended in settlements that exceeded $4 million from more than 10 manufacturers and private label retailers.

Members of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, led by Rep. Judy Chu, D-CA, met with Biden's transition team and with President Biden and Vice President Harris to push the appointment of more AAPI to key positions throughout  the federal government.

“Not only is Julie Su highly qualified for this role, but as a woman of color, she brings a unique perspective that will help her as she works to make sure all Americans are represented in the policies crafted and implemented by President Biden’s Department of Labor," said Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill.

"Given her proven track-record supporting American workers, I have confidence that she will put workers’ rights first and do everything she can to expand fair labor practices." Duckworth pressured the Biden administration by protesting the lack of AAPI presence in his Cabinet by threatening to withhold her vote on the President's nominees unless he appointed more Asian Americans as key White House advisors.

"A daughter of Chinese immigrants and a lifelong advocate for working families, Julie brings a wealth of experience and perspective to the Department of Labor that will help advance justice for America’s workers," said Rep. Grace Meng, D-NY. 

"From her recent role as California’s Labor Secretary, to her background at Asian Americans Advancing Justice (AAAJ-LA), Julie brings the expertise and compassion needed to serve in this role. Her efforts as Deputy Secretary of Labor will also be critical in getting workers back on their feet, and ensuring protections for them, as our nation continues to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic."

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.

Jobless rate for Asian Americans spike to unprecedented lelvels

The jobless rate for Asian Americans soared to historic levels; from 4.1% in March to 14.5% in April.
“The US economy has paid a heavy toll for the efforts to contain the coronavirus, said Seema Shah, chief strategist at Principal Global Investors. ”“Not only do the payroll numbers clearly set out the magnitude of the economic devastation that had already been trailed by incoming economic data in recent weeks, but it weighs heavily on expectations for the recovery.”

In April, the US unemployment rate leaped to 14.7 percent, up from 4.4 percent in March after months at a half-century low, according to the monthly employment report, released Friday (May 8) by the Department of Labor.

In just over a month, the coronavirus has wiped out all job gains since the Great Recession and brought the country's decade-long record economic growth streak to an abrupt halt.

Those workers employed in the leisure and hospitality industry were the hardest hit as  hotels, restaurants and bars closed down as a result of measures taken to slow the spread of the coronavirus.

In New York alone, most of the job losses in those lower wage occupations was the reason Asian Americans filing for unemployment exploded 6,900% for the month of April.

Education and health services lost 2.5 million, while professional and business services as well as retail both saw 2.1 million workers lose their jobs. The overall unemployment rate for service occupations ballooned from 4% in March to 27.1%.