February 26, 2024
Dear Senator:
On behalf of the Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO (TTD) and our 37 affiliates representing millions of workers across the transportation industry, I urge you to vote yes on the nomination of Acting Secretary Julie Su to the office of Secretary of Labor when the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor & Pensions meets tomorrow for its executive session.
Acting Secretary Su is exceptionally qualified to lead the Department of Labor. She has served as Acting Secretary of Labor for the past year, and has worked as a senior leader within the Department since 2021. During her time in the U.S. Department of Labor, she has forged substantive relationships with both organized labor and industry leaders, and has demonstrated a deep commitment to protecting the rights of workers. While previously serving as the secretary for the California Labor and Workforce Development Agency, she worked tirelessly to balance the concerns of a diverse set of stakeholders, from small businesses to worker advocates, and faithfully carried out her duties to ensure health and safety on the job for workers, combat wage theft, and enforce workplace laws. Prior to her career in public service, Su worked as a civil rights attorney and champion for underserved and economically disadvantaged communities grappling with predatory and illegal workplace practices.
Under Acting Secretary Su’s leadership, the Department of Labor has in the past year made available millions of dollars in grants to expand registered apprenticeships for clean energy and transportation workers, proposed a rule to strengthen labor standards for the National Apprenticeship System, enforced safety standards for manufacturing workers, announced a final rule requiring Project Labor Agreements (PLAs) for most large-scale Federal construction projects, and announced a final rule to combat worker misclassification under the Fair Labor Standards Act. Acting Secretary Su has also demonstrated an eagerness to address emerging workforce issues such as automation and has advocated to ensure workers have a voice amid technological transition.
Her record has demonstrated a thorough understanding of the most pressing labor issues facing transportation workers and I know that she will continue to confront workforce challenges with fairness and an abiding commitment to the welfare of workers as Secretary of Labor.
Sincerely,
Greg Regan
President