Newspress

As an Asian-Pacific American, I'm filled with pride to support Julie Su as Secretary of Labor. Julie Su is the daughter of Chinese immigrants. Her mother came to the United States on a cargo ship because she couldn't afford a passenger ticket, her parents later built a small laundromat business and raised a daughter who became a worker's advocate and civil rights leader. Su's unwavering dedication to confronting corporate greed and championing workers' rights is genuinely inspiring.

Her track record speaks volumes about her commitment to creating a more inclusive economy and fighting for the millions of working families around the country; exactly the type of leader we need managing our Department of Labor. The numbers speak for themselves: the labor market has been sluggish; wage growth stagnating for decades and income inequality an all-time high. This reality has been even more challenging for marginalized communities, including Asian-Pacific Americans, who face discrimination and barriers to advancement.

A barrier to advancement many minorities face is wage theft. This includes the underpayment of wages, denials of benefits, and failure to pay overtime. In Arizona alone, an estimated $473 million in wages are stolen from workers each year, equivalent to 2.6% of the state's total workforce or about 80,093 workers. This staggering amount of money should be going to hard-working individuals and their families to keep food on the table and a roof over their heads. We are not keeping our promise that if you work hard enough you can achieve the American dream. Our systems are broken. However, with Su at the helm of the Department of Labor, there is hope for change.

As former Labor Commissioner of California, she implemented groundbreaking policies to protect workers from wage theft, and her efforts resulted in over $50 million in stolen wages being recovered for workers. Julie is lawful and accountable to the people she represents.

Su is endorsed by a range of business groups and labor leaders from the AFL-CIO and NABTU to LiUNA and the United Mineworkers. She has garnered all the right support and all the expected corporate opposition, who are more concerned for their profits rather than the people who keep our country running.

Across the country, working people are contacting Senators to ensure Su is our next Secretary of Labor. It is time to stand with Julie Su and support her nomination as Secretary of Labor. Her experience and commitment to workers' rights make her the best candidate to ensure that all workers, regardless of their job classification, receive the basic labor protections we are entitled to. We are urging our Senators to confirm her appointment and work towards creating a fair and just workplace for all.