Asian Americans Advancing Justice Urges Biden to Appoint Julie Su as U.S. Secretary for the Department of Labor
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Washington, D.C. — February 10, 2023 — Upon the news of current U.S. Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh stepping down from the position, the national network of independent social justice affiliates Asian Americans Advancing Justice (Advancing Justice), strongly urges the Biden Administration to select Deputy Secretary Julie Su as the next U.S. Secretary for the Department of Labor.
Asian Americans Advancing Justice releases the following statement:
“Asian Americans Advancing Justice endorses Julie Su as the next U.S. Secretary for the Department of Labor.
Julie Su has spent her decades-long career fighting for workers’ rights and ensuring their health and safety. She began this work as the Litigation Director for over 15 years at Asian Americans Advancing Justice Southern California (AJSOCAL), formerly known as Asian Pacific American Legal Center). Her leadership as the U.S. Labor Secretary would be a win for all working people, including people of color, immigrants, and women.
Two years ago, Advancing Justice first supported Su’s candidacy to be Secretary of Labor, as well as her nomination for her current role as the Deputy Secretary of Labor. If nominated and confirmed as Secretary of Labor, she would become an even greater asset to the Biden Administration and Department of Labor (DOL) at the helm. Julie Su has been an indispensable leader within DOL, working in lockstep with Secretary Walsh to advance President Biden’s agenda for a more inclusive economy. Now, she is even more profoundly qualified and positioned to further deliver on labor, workforce, and employment goals set forth by the Biden Administration.
As the former Litigation Director of AJSOCAL, Su advocated and helped deliver a victory for Thai garment workers in the El Monte sweatshop case (Bureerong v. Uvawas), which led to sweeping changes in our country’s labor laws and protection for victims of human trafficking. As a champion for the underserved in California, she not only represented the workers, but also helped them access health care, find housing, and empowered them to tell their stories in court. As California’s Labor Commissioner, Su led a renaissance in the agency’s enforcement activity, with strategic reforms that resulted in record setting recoveries and relief for some of the state’s most abused and marginalized workers. As California’s Secretary of Labor, Su continued to fight for the rights of workers across the state.
"We are a nation with the most diverse and changing workforce and Julie Su has the skills and track record of bringing people together and being visionary.”