President Joe Biden on Monday renominated Julie Su to serve as U.S. labor secretary, despite her confirmation being mired in the Senate for nearly a year.
Su has served as DOL Acting Secretary since March 2023 and was nominated in February 2023 by President Biden to assume the role of Secretary. In his nomination of Su last year Biden called Su "a tested and experienced leader, who will continue to build a stronger, more resilient, and more inclusive economy that provides Americans a fair return for their work and an equal chance to get ahead."
Su's nomination last year was unpopular among trucking stakeholders, mostly due to her role in passing California's AB 5 independent contractor legislation as California's labor commissioner, then as secretary for the California Labor and Workforce Development Agency. Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA) last June wrote a letter to President Biden asking him to "withdraw the nomination of Ms. Julie Su to lead the U.S. Department of Labor."
This week, rather than reverse course, Biden doubled down by including Su's name on a list of nominees sent to the Senate. And trucking's feelings on the nomination have not changed.
[Related: DOL nominee Su not calling for AB 5 on national level]
“As we’ve communicated to the White House and the U.S. Senate since her first nomination as Secretary was announced, Julie Su’s record of opposition to independent truckers in California should not be rewarded with a promotion," OOIDA President Todd Spencer said Tuesday. "We thank the bipartisan coalition of Senators who shared our concerns and request that President Biden puts forth a nominee who has a record of considering the interests of the entire American workforce.”
American Trucking Associations President and CEO Chris Spear noted Tuesday that ATA "opposed her nomination before and... will continue to oppose it now."
Dave Heller, vice president of safety and government affairs with the Truckload Carriers Association (TCA), said his group too "continues to strongly oppose" Su's nomination.
"We believe that a nominee with a better understanding of the trucking industry's needs and dynamics would be better suited to promote policies that foster fair labor practices while safeguarding the vitality and competitiveness of our industry," he said. "Her past experience regarding California’s AB5 has demonstrated her lack of understanding of the unique opportunities and operational requirements of the trucking industry with roots strongly based upon the independent Contractor business model."
