United States Senate
Washington, D.C. 20510
Dear Senator:
On behalf of the 1.4 million members of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), I urge you to support the nomination of Julie Su as Secretary of the Department of Labor.
Since her confirmation in 2021, Deputy Secretary Su has provided expert leadership for the needs of America’s workers and employers. She has been an innovative and collaborative Deputy Secretary who has focused increasing access to apprenticeships, growing our health care workforce, and expanding youth employment. Deputy Secretary Su has been at the front line of bringing our economy through uncertain times to successfully and skillfully meet the challenges we face.
She has worked in close partnership with Secretary Marty Walsh to foster a strong, resilient and vibrant economy centered on workers, which will enable a smooth leadership transition for the agency and a continuation of the agenda they both charted – one that will better protect workers from exploitation, but one that also has due regard for the regulated community and employers who are playing by the rules. This was her approach as Secretary of the California Labor and Workforce Development Agency and resulted in her being well respected by so many in the business community in her home state of California. It is clear that Deputy Secretary Su is someone who respects all stakeholders, including high-road employers who understand that their success is built by their workforces.
As Secretary of the California Labor and Workforce Development Agency, she oversaw state departments and boards that enforce labor laws, paid leave, unemployment insurance benefits, fund workforce training and apprenticeship programs, and arbitrate public sector contract disputes. As California Labor Commissioner from 2011 to 2018, she enforced labor laws and ensured fair and just workplaces for employees and their employers. During her impressive service to the state of California, she implemented the laws passed by the legislature fairly and expertly. As Litigation Director at Asian Americans Advancing Justice - Los Angeles, the nation’s largest legal and civil rights organization for Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders, she investigated, litigated and advocated to protect workers and their families. Early in her career in a landmark case, she fought -2for justice for workers imprisoned in a modern-day sweatshop outside Los Angeles. She also co-founded Sweatshop Watch to counter inhumane working conditions in sweatshops.
Deputy Secretary Su has always fought to protect the most vulnerable workers throughout her career. She has championed labor rights. She is an incredibly well-qualified, thoughtful and talented public servant who was already confirmed by the Senate in 2021. I urge you to vote to confirm Julie Su for the critical role of Secretary of the Department of Labor.