GOP Grills Joe Biden’s Labor Secretary Nominee Over Policies That Will Harm Franchise Workers And Gig Economy

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Current Labor Secretary Marty Walsh is stepping down to take a position as the executive director for the National Hockey League.

President Biden’s nominee to replace Walsh’s cabinet position is receiving some blowback for some of her past actions from the GOP and various coalitions. 

Biden called Julie Su “the American dream” because of her roots as the child of immigrants.

CNN, ABC, and other media outlets point out that “she would be the first Asian American to serve in his Cabinet as a department secretary.”  

We all know that her identity is her top qualification. Would you expect anything less from this administration?

According to Fox News:

Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., is the top Republican on the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee that will consider the nomination of Julie Su, who became acting Labor Secretary after Marty Walsh stepped down in mid-March to lead the national hockey players’ union. 

Cassidy told Fox News Digital that based on her performance as secretary of the California Labor and Workforce Development Agency, and as deputy Labor secretary, Su is wrong for gig economy workers.

Cassidy said that during her tenure as California’s labor chief, Su supported a regulatory proposal known as AB5, which was aimed at tightening restrictions on who employers could classify as an independent contractor. He said Su would pursue similar goals in Washington.

Freelancers Against AB 5 founder, Karen Anderson, said “As the chief enforcer of AB 5, Julie Su was a nightmare for freelancers and small businesses in California. She has no business being Labor Secretary after her track of failure.”

A coalition of small business owners, contract workers, freelancers, and franchisees called “Stand Against Su” launched a nationwide campaign against Biden’s choice to head the Labor Department.

The six-figure ad campaign that aims at derailing Biden’s nominee is prominent in states where “vulnerable” Democrat senators are up for re-election in 2024.

The billboard ads are targeting voters in states like Arizona, Maine, Montana, and West Virginia where moderates like Senator Joe Manchin are up for re-election in 2024.

The goal is to encourage these Senators to block Su’s nomination in the Senate before it goes to the floor for a vote.

Her critics point to Su’s endorsement of tighter employment regulations in California when she served in the state’s main labor agency. She is considered an “enemy of both companies and employees.”

“Simply put, Julie Su is anti-worker,” the coalition wrote in a letter it issued in opposition to the nominee. “Her promotion to Secretary of Labor would cripple small business and eliminate job opportunities for millions of hard-working Americans.”

Wes Snyder, the owner of a FASTSIGNS franchise in Arizona, finds fault with Su’s support of policies that would dismantle the franchise business model.

“This business model gives anyone the opportunity to experience the transformative power of entrepreneurship while strengthening their local communities,” he said. “Julie Su wants to rob us of this opportunity – she will turn the American dream into the American nightmare.”

The International Franchise Association (IFA) released a statement outlining Su’s track record of supporting policies that harm franchise businesses.