REUTERS - President-elect Donald Trump will name fast-food executive Andy Puzder to
head the U.S. Department of Labor, according to a source familiar with the
matter, in an appointment likely to antagonize organized labor.
Puzder, chief executive of CKE Restaurants Inc [APOLOT.UL], which
operates the Carl's Jr. and Hardee's fast-food chains, has been a vociferous
critic of government regulation of the workplace.
Puzder frequently publishes commentary and gives television interviews in
which he argues that a higher minimum wage would hurt workers by forcing
restaurants to close and praises the benefits of automation in the fast-food
industry.
Fast-food workers, who are largely not unionized, are engaged in a
multi-year campaign known as the "Fight for $15," which is supported
by labor unions, to raise minimum wages to $15 per hour. They have garnered
state-wide successes in New York and California and in cities and
municipalities such as Seattle.
The selection of Puzder, first reported by the Wall Street Journal, was
expected to be announced soon, the source said.
Trump transition spokesman Jason Miller, when asked on a daily briefing
call about Puzder, did not address him directly but said there would be
"additional cabinet information" released later on Thursday. Puzder
did not respond to requests seeking comment.
Trump's decision to tap Puzder as the chief of the country's largest
labor agency, which regulates wages, safety and discrimination in the
workplace, comes as the president-elect is engaged in a Twitter brawl with the
head of a local United Steelworkers union in Indiana.
United Steelworkers Local 1999 President Chuck Jones, who represents
workers at United Technologies Corp's Carrier plant in Indianapolis, criticized
Trump for inflating the number of jobs that would be saved by his intervention
in the company's decision to move some production to Mexico.
Trump posted on Twitter that Jones has done a "terrible job
representing workers." Some of the president-elect's supporters sent Jones
death threats.
Jones said after speaking to the company, that 800 jobs will remain in
Indianapolis and 730 of those will be union jobs, with another 70 management
positions. But Trump said last week during an appearance at the Carrier plant
that a deal made by Indiana to give the company $7 million in tax breaks would
keep 1,100 jobs in the region.
"Our people, at that point in time, got their hopes back up that
they might have a job," Jones told CNBC on Thursday. "I’ve said at
every interview that I’m grateful for President-elect Trump getting involved …
without his involvement these 800 jobs would not remain in Indianapolis."
"All he had to do is come back and say I as misled by (United
Technologies) ... instead of doing that he goes on the attack on me?"
Jones added.
REUTERS
Follow Solenzo Blog on
0 Comments