National COSH call on U.S Senate to Rapidly Approve Julie Su as Secretary of Labor

19 Apr 2023

For immediate release – April 19, 2023

Contact:  Melissa Moriarty, melissa@nationalcosh.org, 603.505.7135

National COSH call on U.S Senate to Rapidly Approve Julie Su as Secretary of Labor

Exceptionally well-qualified nominee with strong track record on health and safety for workers

LOS ANGELES – Leaders of the National Council for Occupational Safety and Health (National COSH) called on the U.S. Senate to rapidly approve the nomination of Julie Su as the next U.S. Secretary of Labor.

“Julie Su is extraordinarily well qualified to lead the U.S. Department of Labor,” said Jessica E. Martinez, MPH, co-executive director of National COSH. “The daughter of Chinese immigrants, she has a long and distinguished track record of working with labor and business to create and nurture the high-quality jobs we need to grow a fair and sustainable economy.”

“I was fortunate to have the opportunity to work directly with Ms. Su during her service as California’s Labor Commissioner,” said Martinez, who is based in Los Angeles. “She listened attentively and worked to integrate issues of worker safety and wage and hour enforcement.”

“Ms. Su has been a strategic and effective leader for job safety, worker-centered training and improving workplace standards,” said Martinez. “That’s exactly the focus we need at a time when the rate of fatalities and injuries in U.S. workplaces is on the rise, the use of child labor is increasing, and millions of workers are still exposed to COVID-19 and other infectious diseases.”

“Ms. Su knows the issues facing U.S. workers and businesses,” said Martinez, noting that the nominee has served for the past two years as deputy U.S. secretary of labor. “She is ready to lead on day one. The U.S. Senate should waste no time in approving her nomination.”

Ms. Su will appear before the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee tomorrow, April 20th at 10:00 am ET.

National COSH links the efforts of local worker health and safety coalitions in communities across the United States, advocating for elimination of preventable hazards in the workplace. For more information, please visit nationalcosh.org. Follow us @NationalCOSH on Facebook, @NationalCOSH on Twitter and @NationalCOSH on Instagram.