March 3, 2023
This week in Washington, DC, NFFE National President Randy Erwin attended a ceremony at the White House where President Joe Biden officially nominated Julie Su to be the next Secretary of Labor. Following the announcement Erwin spoke briefly with Biden about federal employees and the pro-union agenda of the White House.
Su’s nomination came on the heels of Marty Walsh’s announcement that he would be stepping down as Secretary of Labor to run the National Hockey League Players Association. However, Su will surely step up to meet the challenge of leading the Labor Department and continuing to advance the Biden Administration’s pro-union and pro-labor policies.
Julie Su has spent her entire career advocating for workers, and currently holds the position of the Deputy Secretary of Labor. Prior to joining the Labor Department, Su was the Labor Secretary for the State of California and she began her life in government service as the California Labor Commissioner. Su spent 17 years as a civil rights attorney representing workers. Her work as representing trafficked Thai garment workers earned her a MacArthur “genius” award. A daughter of immigrants, Su is a graduate of Stanford University and Harvard Law School.
“It was an honor to attend this important ceremony as a guest of President Biden,” said President Erwin. “I had the opportunity to thank him for nominating such a qualified and accomplished candidate in Julie Su as the next Secretary of Labor. In my conversation with the President, I offered my appreciation for the work his administration has done to empower and show respect for federal employees, and to ensure all workers have the opportunity to join a union.”