Labor / Employment, On The Job, Politics

1,460 Law Students And Professors Oppose The Nomination Of Andrew Puzder As Labor Secretary

Opposition to Trump's Labor pick increases.

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Andy Puzder (Photo by Al Seib/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

Andy Puzder (photo by Al Seib/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

Looks like prospective lawyers are getting in on the letter-writing game now. This highly charged political season has seen lawyers and law professors marking their opposition to all sorts of Trump things with strongly worded letters. Now we have a letter signed by more than 1,460 law students and law professors taking a stand against the nomination of Andrew Puzder as Secretary of Labor.

The letter was sent to the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, and it takes particular umbrage over the fact that Puzder’s primary experience in the labor field seems to be flouting the rules (footnotes omitted):

Mr. Puzder’s contempt for the rules of the agency he would run is unprecedented. During Mr. Puzder’s tenure as CEO of CKE Restaurants, dozens of his company’s directly-owned and franchise restaurants were found by regulators to have violated wage and hour laws and occupational health and safety laws. Since 2009, sixty percent of Department of Labor investigations of CKE restaurants found labor law violations. Mr. Puzder has even complained about having to provide rest and meal breaks for his workers. Multiple class-action lawsuits have accused CKE of wage theft, including by routinely forcing workers to skip breaks, altering time records, and placing caps on manager pay while requiring them to work unpaid hours. Through his actions and words Mr. Puzder has demonstrated that he can’t himself abide by labor rules. We do not see how working people can trust Puzder to look out for them now in enforcing labor laws.

The letter also notes Puzder’s questionable record on women in the workplace and his opposition to policy changes workers have agitated for. These are posited as disqualifying issues that would prevent Puzder from carrying out his duties.

The opposition against Puzder has gained steam over the last few days, and his confirmation hearing is scheduled for Thursday. Rumors are swirling that the nomination is in danger, and Mitch McConnell may not be able to deliver the Republican votes necessary.

But be warned, if you work at a public institution and signed the letter, you might see a records request in the near future.

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You can read the full letter on the next page.

Earlier: Law Professors That Spoke Out Against Jeff Sessions’s Nomination Subjected To Records Request

headshotKathryn Rubino is an editor at Above the Law. AtL tipsters are the best, so please connect with her. Feel free to email her with any tips, questions, or comments and follow her on Twitter (@Kathryn1).

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