Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility
Biden Nominates California's Su as Deputy Labor Secretary
gvw_ap_news
By Associated Press
Published 3 years ago on
February 10, 2021

Share

SACRAMENTO — President Joe Biden nominated Julie Su, the head of California’s labor agency, on Wednesday as the deputy U.S. secretary of labor, potentially putting another Californian in a top administration job and focusing a brighter spotlight on the state’s ongoing unemployment fraud scandal.

Julie Su

If confirmed by the Senate, Su would be tasked with helping to lead a sprawling department that oversees laws that regulate worker standards and pay, workplace safety, workers’ compensation, unions, family and medical leave and more. She would work in partnership with Boston Mayor Marty Walsh, Biden’s nominee for labor secretary, if he is confirmed.

Su was tapped in 2019 by Gov. Gavin Newsom to lead the California Labor and Workforce Development Agency. It oversees everything from unemployment insurance to workforce development, as well as the Agricultural Labor Relations Board and the Public Employee Relations Board.

“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.

Fraud Issues to Surface

But Su will likely face questions over the state’s handling of skyrocketing unemployment claims during the pandemic. State officials estimate California has likely paid out $11 billion in fraudulent payments, including to prisoners. People who lost their jobs because of coronavirus-related business closures often waited weeks or even months for checks, and millions of people might have to pay back some of their benefits because the state overpaid them.

The California Employment Development falls under Su’s agency, though she does not directly run it. California lawmakers from both parties have been highly critical of the department, though much of the criticism has focused on the Employment Development Department’s leadership. Still, she’s likely to face pushback and skepticism from members of Congress, particularly Republicans.

Tom Manzo, head of the California Business and Industrial Alliance, sent letters this month to Republican Sens. Mitch McConnell and Richard Burr, criticizing Su for the state’s unemployment fraud as well as a state labor policy that allows employees to file lawsuits against their employers for civil penalties, which the group said hurts small businesses.

State Assemblyman David Chiu, who has been highly critical of the employment department, said that the agency’s problems existed before Su’s tenure and that she has worked to remedy them.

“These were issues beyond her control, but from what I’ve seen she’s done everything, she possibly can to fix the situation,” he said in December, when Asian-American and Pacific Islander groups were urging Biden to appoint Su as the labor secretary.

Former California Labor Commissioner

Su previously served as the California’s labor commissioner from 2011 to 2018, a job that falls under the broader agency. Before joining state government, Su worked as a lawyer for Asian Americans Advancing Justice in Los Angeles.

She received a MacArthur Foundation fellowship, known as a “genius grant,” in 2001 for her work defending Thai garment workers who worked for 18 hours a day at a sweatshop outside Los Angeles. A federal lawsuit she filed on behalf of the workers helped set the precedent that extended the responsibility for employment conditions to retailers and fashion labels, according to the foundation’s website. The workers also won U.S. citizenship.

DON'T MISS

Caitlin Clark and Iowa Draw Nearly 5 Million Viewers for Second-Round NCAA Win

DON'T MISS

Canadian School Boards Sue Snapchat, TikTok and Meta for Disrupting Students’ Education

DON'T MISS

California Law Enforcement Agencies Obstruct Transparency Efforts in Use-of-Force Cases

DON'T MISS

No Police Charges for Taylor Swift’s Dad Over Paparazzi Incident in Sydney

DON'T MISS

Biden Administration to Lend $1.5B to Restart Michigan Nuclear Power Plant, a First in the US

DON'T MISS

Tonight’s Biden Fundraiser With Obama and Clinton Already Nets a Record $25 Million

DON'T MISS

Former Sen. Joe Lieberman, Democrats’ VP Pick in 2000, Dead at 82

DON'T MISS

Trump Criticizes Judge and His Daughter After Gag Order in Hush-Money Case

DON'T MISS

CA Insurance Market ‘in Chaos,’ Says Former Insurance Commissioner. Can Lara Fix It?

DON'T MISS

Police Had About 90 Seconds to Stop Traffic Before Baltimore Bridge Fell. 6 Workers Are Feared Dead

No data was found

Shohei Ohtani Reaches 3 Times in Home Debut as the Dodgers Rout the Cardinals 7-1

16 hours ago

Facebook News Tab Will Soon Be Unavailable as Meta Scales Back News and Political Content

16 hours ago

Stock Market Today: Wall Street Rises to More Records to Close Out Its Latest Winning Month

17 hours ago

A Fresno County First: Kerman Council Passes Amended Gaza Cease-Fire Resolution

17 hours ago

UN Top Court Orders Israel to Open More Land Crossings for Aid into Gaza

17 hours ago

How Involved Is Southern California Consulting Firm in FUSD Executive Dealings?

17 hours ago

Biden’s Fundraiser with Obama and Clinton Nets a Record $25 Million, His Campaign Says

18 hours ago

Fresno Unified’s Self-Protection Racket Is Hurting Our Kids

18 hours ago

Rockin’ Out or Laughing, the Valley Has Its Pick of Weekend Events

19 hours ago

Ex-Correctional Officer at Women’s Prison in California Sentenced for Sexually Abusing Inmates

21 hours ago

Here’s a Look at the Firm Helping Fresno Unified Select Its Next Superintendent

A consulting firm that says it is the largest of its kind is helping Fresno Unified find a new superintendent. With a $40,000 contract in ha...

3 mins ago

3 mins ago

Here’s a Look at the Firm Helping Fresno Unified Select Its Next Superintendent

PGA HOPE at Fresno's Riverside Golf Course
15 hours ago

PGA HOPE at Riverside Golf Course Introduces Military Veterans to the Game

16 hours ago

Cronenworth’s Big Hit Helps Lift the Padres to a 6-4 Win Over Melvin’s Giants

16 hours ago

Shohei Ohtani Reaches 3 Times in Home Debut as the Dodgers Rout the Cardinals 7-1

16 hours ago

Facebook News Tab Will Soon Be Unavailable as Meta Scales Back News and Political Content

17 hours ago

Stock Market Today: Wall Street Rises to More Records to Close Out Its Latest Winning Month

17 hours ago

A Fresno County First: Kerman Council Passes Amended Gaza Cease-Fire Resolution

17 hours ago

UN Top Court Orders Israel to Open More Land Crossings for Aid into Gaza

MENU

CONNECT WITH US

Search

Send this to a friend