President Biden Nominates Julie Su for Labor Secretary

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President Biden has nominated Julie Su to serve as the Secretary of the Department of Labor (DOL). Since 2021, Su has served as the Deputy Secretary of Labor and has been called a “champion for workers” and is expected to advance Biden’s vision of a resilient and inclusive economy with worker well-being at its core. If confirmed, Su will become the first Asian American to join Biden’s cabinet at the rank of Secretary.

Before joining the DOL, Deputy Secretary Su served as the California Labor and Workforce Development Agency Secretary. There she worked closely with unions and employers to build partnerships to connect people to union jobs.

The Senate must confirm Su, where she has the backing of the Congressional Asian-Pacific American Caucus and the Congressional black caucus. However, her confirmation could still be contentious as she is facing opposition from republicans who are citing her role in crafting state law AB5 that classifies some contract workers as employees. Critics say AB5 severely restricts businesses’ ability to hire freelancers.