Maia Usui is a student at Harvard Law School.
This post is part of a series on the candidates we understand to be under consideration for Secretary of Labor.
President-elect Donald Trump met this weekend with Andrew Puzder, one of his rumored candidates for Secretary of Labor. Like Trump, Puzder is a Washington outsider: he’s the longtime CEO of CKE Restaurants, the company that owns fast-food chains Hardee’s and Carl’s, Jr. Puzder has been one of Trump’s staunchest supporters — advising him and fundraising for him on the campaign trail — as well as an outspoken critic of the Obama administration. On his personal blog and elsewhere, Puzder has made no secret of his pro-business stance on labor issues. Here’s what we know.
Minimum Wage
As The Atlantic reports, Puzder has voiced strong opposition to a higher minimum wage. He has argued (more than once) that raising the minimum wage and mandating benefits (like paid leave and health insurance) will end up hurting workers, predicting that businesses will respond to higher labor costs with “price increases, more efficient labor management, and automation.” (He himself has decided to invest in automation at Carl’s, Jr. restaurants, replacing workers with machines because “[machines] never take a vacation, they never show up late, there’s never a slip-and-fall, or an age, sex, or race discrimination case.”)
Benefits
Puzder has also taken aim at government benefits. His proposed solution to sluggish job growth is “more work, less welfare” — according to him, programs like SNAP and Medicaid have distorted incentives, creating a “welfare cliff” that discourages low-income workers from working more for fear of losing their benefits.
Puzder has also complained about Obamacare’s impact on the economy, claiming that Americans are spending less because of higher health insurance premiums.
Other
And Puzder has been critical of the Obama administration’s stance on a range of other issues relating to labor and employment.
Puzder has opposed the Department of Labor’s proposed overtime rule (which would guarantee overtime pay to salaried workers making less than $47k a year), arguing that treating entry-level managers as “hourly” workers will prevent them from realizing their full career potential — through “an increased sense of ownership” — and “achiev[ing] the American Dream.”
Meanwhile, Puzder has also criticized the National Labor Relations Board for its decision to treat franchisors as joint employers of their franchisees’ employees. He warns that the Board’s decision will undermine the franchise business model — an important source of jobs — to the detriment of the U.S. economy.
Daily News & Commentary
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September 16
Trump nominates Catherine Eschbach as EEOC general counsel; NLRB declines to resolve union work-assignment dispute; Allina Health physicians begin four-day strike.
September 15
Documents reveal the inner workings of Amazon's union avoidance program; Washington state public sector unions reach tentative deals amid a difficult bargaining cycle; hundreds of Nevada Culinary Union members protest their union's health care changes.
September 14
NCAA and Big Ten file motion to dismiss in former star player's NIL suit; Seventh Circuit rules against former postal worker in discrimination suit.
September 13
Documents released on the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks show that city officials encouraged workers to return to Ground Zero despite knowing the risks of asbestos exposure, and new polls demonstrate continued widespread support for labor unions.
September 10
Amazon workers allege pregnancy discrimination; federal unions challenge USDA reorganization; NYC warns of silicosis risks.
September 9
Wynn Las Vegas employees allege anti-union retaliation; Amazon faces a class action over pregnancy accommodations; H-1B demand plunges following a six-figure visa fee.