Biden: Labor nominee Julie Su represents the American dream

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President Biden picks current Deputy Labor Secretary Julie Su for his Cabinet.

President Biden's formal nomination Wednesday of Julie Su as his next Secretary of Labor fulfills his promise of diversity in his Cabinet. If confirmed, Su will be the first Asian American Secretary-level member of Biden's Cabinet.

“Julie is a champion for workers, and she has been a critical partner to Secretary Walsh since the early days of my Administration," said Biden. "Over several decades, Julie has led the largest state labor department in the nation, cracked down on wage theft, fought to protect trafficked workers, increased the minimum wage, created good-paying, high-quality jobs, and established and enforced workplace safety standards.”

Talking about her immigrant roots and how she worked her way up to become first California's Labor Secretary and eventually the Labor Department's Deputy Secretary, Biden said, "Julie is the American Dream.  And she is what the American Dream is about.  (Applause.)  More importantly — I think even more importantly, she is committed to making sure that dream is within the reach of every American.  Every American.  That’s what she’s all about."

Su replaces former Boston Mayor Marty Walsh, who resigned his Cabinet post to lead the National Hockey League Players' Association.

"Sixty years ago, my mom came to the United States on a cargo ship because she couldn’t afford a passenger ticket," said Su in front of her family and a roomful of supporters, including a good number of House and Senate members.

"Recently, she got a call from the President of the United States telling her that her daughter was going to be nominated to be U.S. Labor Secretary.  

"So, I believe in the transformative power of America, and I know the transformative power of a good job.," continued Su. "I know because it was the kind of job that my mom got that had predictable hours, paid sick leave, health benefits, a secure income, and a pension when she retired.  A union job that gave my parents a path to the middle class and gave our family the kind of breathing room that the President talks about." 

Actually, there are four Asian Americans in Biden's Cabinet. US Trade Representative Katherine Tai and Arati Prabhakar, who leads the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, though, are not Secretaries. Kamala Harris, the first Asian American to serve as vice president, is also a cabinet member.

Democrats control the Senate means d Su is likely be confirmed and she has the backing of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus as well as the Congressional Black Caucus.

Su's expected confirmation "would be a historic confirmation," said Rep. Judy Chu, chair of CAPAC, "as it would further advance President Biden’s pledge to create an Administration that reflects the diversity of our country. I strongly urge my colleagues in the Senate to act swiftly and confirm Julie Su’s nomination.”

Su's nomination comes at a time when union membership has been declning. Only 10% of America's workers are in unions. Through her work, Su had the strong support of labor leaders who backed Biden's bid for the Presidency.

"There's no one more dedicated and qualified to defend the fundamental rights of working people than Julie Su," said AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler. "It's her life's work."

"When the President talks about those who’ve been forgotten or invisible, I know what he means because I have spent my career fighting for them to be seen," said Su in conclusion.

"So to all workers who are toiling in the shadows, to workers who are organizing for power and respect in the workplace, know that we see you, we stand with you, and we will fight for you."

EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, news and views from an AANHPI perspective, follow @DioknoEd on Twitter.

AANHPI advocates campaign for an Asian American Cabinet Secretary

Deputy Labor Secretary Julie Su may be up for a promotion.

With the pending departure of Labor Secretary Marty Walsh, AANHPI groups see an opportunity to fix a perceived oversight by placing one of their own onto President Joe Biden's Cabinet.

The Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC) threw their weight behind Julie A. Su to replace Walsh, who will be leaving the Cabinet to become head of the National Hockey League’s Players Association, according to WBUR.

Although Walsh hasn't confirmed his departure yet, that hasn't stopped CAPAC and other AANHPI advocates from lobbying for Su, who currently holds the No. 2 position in the Labor Dept.

“Deputy Secretary Su has dedicated her career to the promotion of workers’ rights and fair labor practices and to advancing equity and opportunities for all workers, including ones from historically underserved communities," states a CAPAC press release. "She would be a stellar, exceptionally qualified candidate to be Secretary of Labor and would deliver results for American workers and the Biden-Harris Administration immediately upon her confirmation."

Su was in the running to become Labor Secretary when Biden was forming his Cabinet but eventually Walsh, the former Boston mayor, got the job.

Walsh's appointment was the final Secretary-level position to be filled and AANHIPI leaders had hoped Su would get the position because there were no Asian Americans at the Secretary level on Biden's Cabinet.

To assuage the disappointment of Su's supporters, Biden created a new White house position to act as the President's liason to the AANHPI communities. Erika Moritsugu, who has a long history of working in several government positions in Washington, was appointed to that post.

Su, who has not said she would take the position even if it was offered, received more support with the endorsements of the influential Black Congressional Caucus and most labor leaders, garnered from the relationships she developed as California's Labor Secretary.

“It’s the first administration in 20 years without an [Asian American Pacific Islander] Cabinet secretary … This is the first chance they have to diversify the Cabinet,” Sen. Tammy Duckworth told Politico. “So I’m waiting to see. Hopefully they will nominate her or an AAPI.”

Duckworth and Sen. Mazie Hirono were so disappointed that Su was not appointed Labor Secretary in 2021 that they threatened to slow-walk Biden's appointments that need Senate approval.

Currently, there are three Asian Americans on Biden's Cabinet, Vice President Kamala Harris, US Trade Representative Katherine Tai and Arati Prabhakar, director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy. However, none of those posts have the prestige, power or high-profile given to a Secretary.

Some of Su's AANHPI supporters include the Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum, Asian Pacific Insitute for Congressional Studies, National Asian Pacific American Bar Association and Advancing Asian American Justice.

"If nominated and confirmed as Secretary of Labor, she would become an even greater asset to the Biden Administration and Department of Labor (DOL) at the helm," said Asian Americans Advancing Justice, where Su worked for 15 years. "Julie Su has been an indispensable leader within DOL, working in lockstep with Secretary Walsh to advance President Biden’s agenda for a more inclusive economy. Now, she is even more profoundly qualified and positioned to further deliver on labor, workforce, and employment goals set forth by the Biden Administration."

EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, news and views from an AANHPI perspective, follow @DioknoEd on Twitter.

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."

Biden finally nominates Julie Su to Department of Labor No. 2 post

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JULIE SU

It took longer than expected but President Biden finally recommended Julie Su for a top post in the Labor Department.

Su's nomination for the Deputy Secretary of the Department of Labor comes after an intense lobbying effort by the Asian American and Pacific Islander communities that failed in its goal to get an AAPI to head one of Biden's Cabinet positions.

In their desire to have at least one AAPI named as a Cabinet Secretary, AAPI politicians, community leaders and advocacy organizations pushed  Biden to name Su as Labor Secretary. Ultimately, Biden picked long-time friend, Boston Mayor Marty Walsh, was backed by the AFL-CIO. As a result, for the first time in 20 years, there is no AAPI serving the President as a Secretary of a federal agency. 

Su, the daughter of Chinese immigrants and a longtime advocate for low-wage workers, is currently Secretary of the California Labor and Workforce Development Agency, but is not well known nationally, ie. veterans of Washington DC circles.

“With a leader like Julie at the helm — a tireless fighter for working Americans and a voice for the voiceless — the U.S. Department of Labor will play a central role in guiding us through recovery toward becoming a safer, more equitable and more prosperous nation,” Newsom said in a statement.

Rumors of her selection for the No. 2 spot in the Labor Department have been circulating for weeks but was delayed for an unknown reason giving rise to the fear that the Biden team had reservations about Su.

Her nomination was met with relief by her supporters. 

Before becoming Gov. Gavin Newsom's Labor Secretary, she served as a Labor Commissioner because of her work with Asian Americans Advancing Justice-LA.

The case that got her noticed, was Bureerong v. Uvawas, where Su led a legal team that filed a lawsuit on behalf of 102 garment workers who had been exploited, most of whom had actually been enslaved, by sweatshop operators. The suit challenged the sweatshop operators, as well as the retailers and manufacturers that profited from 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 trafficking into the country. 

In May 1999, the case ended after a final settlement was reached – total settlements from more than 10 manufacturers and private label retailers exceeded $4 million.

“We are immensely proud of Julie Su whose work at Advancing Justice-LA on the Thai Garment Workers’ Case in 1995 led to profound changes in labor laws and immigration laws that define responsible working conditions and protect victims of human trafficking throughout the U.S.," said Connie Chung Joe, CEO of the legal advocacy coalition.

As the DOL's Deputy Secretary, Su will oversee the day-to-day operations of the agency, a position that will inherit a job market and economy ravaged by the pandemic.

With Walsh at the head, the department will have a strong ties with organized labor, strengthen the push for a $15 per hour minimum wage, provide safer working conditions and make it easier for worker to organize.

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.

Su's nomination is also aimed at appeasing the AAPI communities who felt they were overlooked by Biden and his transition team, despite the communities' historic get out the vote effort that helped swing key stats for Biden.

"America is better off when those with a seat at the table making the decisions look like America," said Rep. Judy Chu, chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus. "It is a win-win for both the Biden administration and the AAPI community."

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.

Sunday Read: Support grows for Julie Su to be named to Biden's Cabinet

Julie Su is being considered as Joe Biden's Labor Secretary.

Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) members of Congress and community activists see Julie Su, California's Secretary of Labor and Workforce Development, as their best bet to place an Asian American on Joe Biden's Cabinet as Labor Secretary.  

With each new Cabinet nomination offered by Joe Biden disappointment, frustration, and rumblings of anger, is spreading among Asian American politicians and community activists.

Even with Indian American Kamala Harris as his Vice President-elect, that is not enough to satisfy AAPI political activists whose voters played key roles in swinging states for Biden. the President-elect and his transition team may think Harris presence in the Cabinet gives them an excuse not to name another AAPI at the Secretary level.

"Asian American leaders express pride in Harris’s historic election, but they also chafe at the idea that her presence might give the transition team a pass on naming other AAPIs to Cabinet positions," the Washington Post notes.

The nominations of Neera Tanden as director of the Office of Management and Budget, and Katherine Tai as his Trade Representative, if approved would give AAPI a presence among his advisers but are considered as second-tier advisors compared to the Cabinet Secretaries.

Biden's Cabinet could be the most diverse in history with the first Native American as a Cabinet Secretary, first Latino homeland security chief, first openly gay Secretary and first African American leading the Dept. of Defense.

Biden broadened the diversity of his Cabinet-to-be Friday by naming New Mexico's Rep. Deb Haaland, the first Native American to be named to a Cabinet, as Secretary for the Department of the Interior, the agency which oversees tribal lands and public land.

“Our Cabinet does not just have one 'first' or just two of these firsts, but eight precedent-busting appointments,” Biden said when he introduced Haaland.

As of Saturday, (Dec. 19), Biden has nominated three African Americans and two Latinos as Secretaries and one Native American as Secretaries. There are only five Secretary positions unfilled: Labor, Education, Commerce, Small Business and Attorney General.

For weeks, members of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus have been calling on Biden to nominate an AAPI Cabinet Secretary. As more cabinet nominees are announced, they fear that this could be the first time in over two decades that there will not be a single AAPI Secretary serving in a presidential Cabinet.

“As both a woman of color and the daughter of immigrants, Secretary Su would bring a diversity of thought and experience to the Cabinet," CAPAC said in a statement.

"She has dedicated her career to the advancement of workers’ rights, fair labor practices, and advancing equity and opportunities for all workers, including the most vulnerable who are often overlooked. Her background spearheading statewide efforts to combat wage theft and worker retaliation, oversee both worker compensation and unemployment insurance, and protect the health and safety of working Americans make her supremely qualified to help steer our nation as we work to recover from the global COVID-19 pandemic."

With just a handful of appointments left, time is running short and lobbying is growing more intense.

"Including an AAPI at this highest level of government, as Presidents Clinton, Bush, Obama, and Trump have done, is a recognition of the AAPI community’s impact and contributions to our nation," Chu, who chairs the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC), said in a statement.

"I believe that Julie Su, with her wealth of experience overseeing the California Labor and Workforce Development Agency, would make an excellent Secretary of Labor. Dominic Ng, CEO of East West Bank, a former United Way Chair and Board Member of the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, would be an outstanding Commerce Secretary," said outspoken Rep. Ted Lieu, D-CA. "Ms. Su and Mr. Ng are just some examples of the imminently qualified AAPI candidates for these roles."

“Secretary Su has exemplified her fervent commitment to tirelessly fighting for justice on behalf of the poor, the disenfranchised, and the vulnerable,” Rep. Mark Takano (D-Calif.) wrote in a letter to Biden, signed by 14 other members of Congress, earlier this week.

Rep. Grace Meng (D-N.Y.) tweeted Wednesday. "Zero #AAPI Cabinet Secretaries in his administration would be a disappointment for Asian Americans & Pacific Islanders."

Politico quotes Shekar Narasimhan, chair of the AAPI Victory Fund, a super PAC that endorsed Biden early: "She's a woman, she's AAPI, she's incredibly highly qualified, she has the support of unions in California and she has done yeoman's work in the labor movement. Would you not want to have that person sitting there tomorrow morning?"

A perceived drawback  -- which can also be argued as a positive -- for Su is that she has not worked with Biden previously when he was a U.S. Senator or when he was Obama's Vice President. Biden's selections, thus far, appear to lean towards naming friends and old hands of Washington politics to his inner circle. But the lack of Beltway experience has also been a chief criticism of Biden's picks so far, from the more progressive wing of the Democratic Party, who have also expressed concern about those who have been nominated.

Su, the daughter of Chinese immigrants, was awarded a MacArthur Foundation “Genius” grant in 2001 for her work as a civil rights and workers’ advocate.

Su's work at the Asian Pacific American Legal Center in winning a suit for underpaid Thai-American garment workers gave her national praise from labor unions.

As California's Labor Secretary, Su helped roll out efforts to retrain workers whose jobs are quickly being replaced by robots, an issue brought up by Presidential candidate Andrew Yang and adopted by Biden.

With experts acknowledging the critical role of the AAPI electorate in swing states last Nov. 3, the Democratic Party and AAPI community groups are focusing their attention on the Georgia runoff vote on Jan. 5 that give the Democrats a chance to win two Senate seats and control of the Senate with a one-vote majority.

In the world of politics, a Cabinet appointment is seen by AAPI leaders as a necessary payback for driving up AAPI voting rolls to record numbers followed by an aggressive get-out-the-vote drives which were particularly effective in turning Georgia blue.

“President-Elect Biden promised to build an inclusive government that reflects the full diversity of our nation and that must include AAPIs. For over two decades, there has always been at least one AAPI Cabinet Secretary under both Democratic and Republican administrations," continued the CAPAC statement.

EDITOR'S NOTE: A word of caution, this is news sprinkled with opinion. Readers are encouraged to seek multiple news sources to formulate their own positions.