Senator Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and Patty Murray, D-Wash., took testimony from workers at Carl's Jr. and Hardee's. These are the businesses that are operated by Labor Secretary nominee Andrew Puzder. The employees spoke of wage theft and other allegedly improper employment practices.
The Senators organized the forum after Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn. (the Chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee) denied a request by several Democratic senators to allow the workers to testify at Puzder's forthcoming confirmation hearing. Senator Warren utilized the event to attack a number of policy positions that the nominee has taken, such as his opposition to an increase in the federal minimum wage and his opposition to the USDOL's initiative to increase the numbers of workers eligible for overtime.
One of the workers testified that restrictive labor budgets set down for the individual restaurants compelled managers to have employees work off-the-clock without pay to make sure that all of the work was done. She also asserted that the Company placed restrictions on the number of full-time workers so that health care benefits need not be provided.
Senator Warren observed that "if you work for a living, this man is important to you." She noted that the Secretary will be responsible for enforcing wage and hour laws and establishing workplace safety standards and then added that "unfortunately, Mr. Puzder is not the kind of person that workers can trust will stand up for them."
Senator Murray observed that "I can't help but think about President-elect Trump throughout the campaign telling rally after rally that he was on the side of workers. I met with the secretary of labor nominee, Mr. Puzder, and it's such a contrast to what I heard President-elect Trump say. ... I'm increasingly concerned that this is a very broken promise from the president-elect."
The Takeaway
It is difficult to envision how this Secretary will be a pro-employee advocate. His views have been well-publicized and they will be/are in line with the very much pro-business (i.e. anti-worker) views of the new President.
Assuming the nominee is confirmed, we will soon see where this goes...
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