The nation’s largest labor federation has floated a list of top contenders it would like to see as Secretary of Labor in a Biden Administration. The problem is, reported Bloomberg, they’re all white men.
Earlier this week, it appeared union leaders within the AFL-CIO were having a tug of war over who they wanted picked as Joe Biden’s Secretary of Labor.
“A number of the presidents were sort of furious at the whole thing,” an anonymous source within the AFL-CIO told Politico.
Some were even floating Sen. Bernie Sanders as a possible pick after the aged Senator had reportedly been lobbying for the job.
By the end of the week, though, Sanders has been brushed aside.
Attention: Sources tell us that the AFL-CIO is not supporting Bernie Sanders for Secretary of Labor. They have another candidate in mind. Bernie was on picket lines before many of these labor rights were born. Another cold shoulder to Bernie from establishment Democrats. -R
— Ralph Nader (@RalphNader) November 17, 2020
By Friday, Bloomberg Law reported that union bosses have compromised and are floating four names for labor secretary—none of whom are Bernie Sanders.
This does not mean the list is complete by any means.
That is because there may be another problem, as Bloomberg Law notes: The AFL-CIO’s list of candidates are all white guys.
“The four names on the AFL-CIO’s preliminary list all have important qualifications for the post, and all are White men. They are Seth Harris, a deputy labor secretary during the Obama era, two members of Congress—Reps. Donald Norcross (D-N.J.) and Andy Levin (D-Mich.)—and Boston Mayor Marty Walsh, according to five sources familiar with discussions that produced the list.”
While Biden has not announced any cabinet picks as yet, the fighting and jockeying for positions is interesting to watch.
