The Calendar Year May Have Changed, But Bipartisan Opposition to Su’s Confirmation Hasn’t

February 26, 2024

WASHINGTON – Michael Layman, International Franchise Association (IFA) senior vice president of government relations and public affairs, issued the following statement ahead of the Tuesday, February 27, Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee meeting to consider the nomination of Acting U.S. Secretary of Labor Julie Su to lead the department:

“In these highly polarizing times, it’s telling that Democrats and Republicans have found common ground in the belief that Julie Su is unfit to serve as a Labor Secretary. With the franchise model already under attack from the National Labor Relations Board’s misguided joint employer rule, small businesses deserve a champion at the Labor Department, not a committed opponent. In her previous role as California Labor Secretary, Su championed policies that are prejudiced against the franchise community. The calendar year may have changed, but Julie Su’s impossible path to confirmation has not. We hope the Senate will continue standing with small businesses against this misguided nomination.”

IFA’s previous concerns with Su’s history are available here.

Su was a vocal supporter of the FAST Act, which would have given government appointees the authority to dictate conditions at independent and franchised restaurants across California. The Act threatened to rob California entrepreneurs of their autonomy over business decisions like wages, training requirements, and daily operations. Although the FAST Act was enormously opposed by over one million Californians, Su was an outspoken advocate, telling supporters of the Act, "The Department of Labor stands with you. The Biden-Harris Administration stands with you."

Su championed California Assembly Bill 5 (AB 5), which attempted to reclassify independent contractors as W-2 employees, essentially making it impossible for independent contractors to operate successfully in California. Although AB 5 was opposed by thousands of California’s independent contractors, Su went so far as to promise audits and investigations on impacted workers, saying that AB 5 “will be a model for the country.”

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About the International Franchise Association:

Celebrating over 60 years of excellence, education, and advocacy, the International Franchise Association (IFA) is the world’s oldest and largest organization representing franchising worldwide. IFA works through its government relations and public policy, media relations, and educational programs to protect, enhance and promote franchising and the approximately 806,270 franchise establishments that support nearly 8.7 million direct jobs, $858.5 billion of economic output for the U.S. economy, and almost 3 percent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). IFA members include franchise companies in over 300 different business format categories, individual franchisees, and companies that support the industry in marketing, law, technology, and business development.