Biden Nominates Julie Su for Labor Secretary Post

President Joe Biden has nominated Julie Su to replace Marty Walsh as Secretary of the U.S. Department of Labor. 

Walsh will be leaving the administration later this month to become the executive director of the National Hockey League Players’ Association. 

Su currently serves as the department’s deputy secretary. Before joining the Biden administration, she was California’s labor commissioner. 

A Stanford University and Harvard Law graduate, she is also a past recipient of a McArthur Foundation genius grant.

As the department’s deputy she served as the defacto chief operating officer, overseeing its workforce including OSHA. 

Expectations

As California labor commissioner, she dramatically increased criminal and civil enforcement for wage payment violations.

Su also supported and enforced California’s A.B. 5, which strengthened the state’s independent contractor classification test. 

“Ms. Su is probably best known for her work combating wage theft,” said Carmody Torrance Sandak & Hennessey partner Vincent Farisello.

“Employers can expect to see an uptick in enforcement activity.”

Carmody Torrance Sandak & Hennessey’s Vincent Farisello

Farisello said she has extensive experience addressing workplace safety issues, including work combatting sweatshop conditions. 

“Based on her prior work, employers can expect to see an uptick in enforcement activity from both the U.S. DOL’s Wage and Hour Division and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration,” Farisello said. 

Some lawmakers criticized her performance in overseeing California’s labor department pandemic payments when the U.S. Senate confirmed her as deputy commissioner. 

She is expected to be confirmed by the Senate.