Union-opposed nominee drops out

Linda Chavez, whose nomination was characterized by the AFL-CIO as ‘an insult to working families,’ has withdrawn her name for Secretary of Labor in President-elect Bush’s administration.

Chavez was under fire for housing and giving cash to an undocumented worker in the early 1990s. It was not clear if the woman was an employee.

Lousy record
The labor movement had been united in its opposition to the Chavez nomination.
Bernard Brommer, president of the Minnesota AFL-CIO, issued a statement Tuesday that highlighted her poor record on working family issues.

‘Linda Chavez – a woman who opposes the minimum wage, the Family Medical Leave Act and the 40-hour work week as a basis for overtime pay – is an extraordinarily poor choice for an appointment as important to working families as the Secretary of Labor,’ Brommer said.

‘At minimum, the labor secretary must respect work and respect workers. There is no evidence in her record that she does either. Her record shows a long-term pattern of disdain for America’s working people.’

Chavez has opposed affirmative action, including the goals and timetables established for federal contractors, and supported efforts to gut the Fair Labor Standards Act and eliminate overtime pay. She opposed the Family and Medical Leave Act, claiming it would devastate the economy, and repeatedly has opposed increases in the minimum wage.

AFL-CIO blasts three nominees
Just prior to Chavez’s decision to drop out, the national AFL-CIO Executive Council issued a statement opposing Chavez and two other Bush nominees.

‘The nominations of former senator John Ashcroft for attorney general, Gale Norton for interior secretary, and Linda Chavez for secretary of labor pose a profound and direct threat to civil rights, workers’ rights, women’s rights, and the protection of the environment,’ the council said.

Related articles

The Washington Post report on Chavez’s decision to drop out

The national AFL-CIO Executive Council statement on Bush nominees

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