Puzder’s Withdrawal a Win for Working Families
Feb. 15, 2017
Puzder’s Withdrawal a Win for Working Families
Statement of Emily Gardner, Worker Health and Safety Advocate, Public Citizen’s Congress Watch Division
Note: Andrew Puzder, President Donald Trump’s choice for labor secretary, has withdrawn his nomination.
American workers deserve a labor secretary who will fight for their rights in the workplace and who also values them over automated robots. Andrew Puzder was not that nominee. All indications demonstrate that he would have been the anti-labor secretary. For years, Puzder has been an outspoken critic of many basic worker protections like meaningful minimum wage increases and overtime pay. Even worse, his own restaurants have violated overtime, workplace safety and other labor laws. A corporate CEO with a clear disregard for working Americans like Puzder has no place as the head of the U.S. Department of Labor.
One of the main lessons our country learned from the 2016 election is that Americans want government to be responsive to the concerns of working families. Trump should appoint a labor secretary nominee who will defend and advocate for working people, not undermine their safety and well-being.
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