Dear President Biden,
I write to you on behalf of the National Education Association (NEA) and our three million members from across the nation to support Deputy Secretary of Labor Julie Su to be nominated for Secretary of Labor.
We enthusiastically support Deputy Secretary Su, a nationally renowned labor policy expert, and we urge you to nominate her as your next Labor Secretary. In her role as Deputy Secretary, Su has proven herself as a skilled messenger on behalf of the Department of Labor and Biden Harris Administration. She’s overseen the workforce of the Department tactfully and with kindness, while building initiatives that educate workers on their rights and staunchly protecting workers who are victims of wage theft and other related crimes. Su has traveled across the country and world promoting the work of the Department and Administration, but most importantly, hearing from workers themselves on how the Department can support them.
As secretary of the California Labor and Workforce Development Agency, Su lead an entity responsible for securing fair labor and workplace conditions for workers and businesses. During the pandemic, she has addressed delivery of unemployment insurance benefits, ensured workplace health and safety, and helped support small businesses and their workers. Su is also colead the Governor’s Future of Work Commission, which seeks to make recommendations regarding the jobs Californians could have in coming decades; the impact of technology on work and workers; methods of promoting better job quality, wages, and working conditions; and other critical issues.
Su’s life story is representative of the stories of many American families, and underscores that America is a nation of immigrants. Her parents, who came to the United States from China, owned a small laundromat and Su grew up translating for them. That gave her a deep understanding of the immigrant experience and inspired her to dedicate her career to ensuring that the most vulnerable workers are protected, and that businesses adhering to workplace standards do not face unfair competition from those that do not. As labor secretary in California—our nation’s largest economy, and the fifth largest economy in the world—Su has the depth of experience that would bring vital perspective to the U.S. Department of Labor.
Sincerely,
Becky Pringle
