The Fight for $15 movement attacked president-elect Donald Trump’s current pick for labor secretary Thursday by quoting an employee of one of his franchisees.
CKE Restaurants President Andy Puzder was nominated Dec. 8 to become the next labor secretary. The company owns several franchise restaurant chains including Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s. Some have questioned his treatment of workers at those franchise chains. The Fight for $15 Los Angeles chapter bashed the nominee by quoting a Carl’s Jr. cook in a tweet.
“Andy Puzder is against unions, calls the minimum wage and overtime ‘restrictions’ and employees ‘extra cost,’ and even said he wants to fire workers like us and replace us with machines that can’t take vacations or sue their employers when they break the law,” Carl’s Jr. cook Rogelio Hernandez said. “It doesn’t matter who the labor secretary is, the Fight for $15 won’t back down for one minute in our demands for $15 an hour and union rights for all workers”
Hernandez has been an outspoken participant in the movement. He has done numerous interviews and has participated in protests. He has been particularly critical of Puzder since he was nominated to lead the Department of Labor (DOL).
The Fight for $15 has been at the forefront of the minimum wage debate since it started in November 2012. The movement is primarily supported by labor unions like the Service Employees International Union (SEIU). New York and California are the other states to pass the increase but the movement has seen a lot of success on the city level.
Democratic lawmakers and union leaders have been particularly critical of the nominee. Democratic Sen. Patty Murray and AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka argued during a press call Dec. 22 that the president-elect has already betrayed his promise to the working class by picking Puzder.
Puzder would have a significant amount of influence over workers if his nomination is approved by the Senate. The DOL is the primary federal agency for enforcing and issuing workplace policies. President Barack Obama, for instance, initiated much of his economic agenda through department regulations.
Puzder supporters see his nomination as a way to bring balance back to the labor department. Current Labor Secretary Thomas Perez has been accused by critics of pushing an overly political agenda. Some believe his reforms have benefited unions at the expense of employers and workers.
The Fight for $15 and Trump transition team did not respond to requests for comment by InsideSources.
