The confirmation hearing for President Donald Trump’s labor secretary nominee has been postponed for the third time. Andrew Puzder now won’t go before the U.S. Senate until February 7. Workers in Hartford are among those protesting Puzder’s nomination.
A small group of workers gathered for the second time in two weeks outside the U.S. Department of Labor office in Hartford on Thursday.
Since the nomination of Puzder, the CEO of fast food companies Carl’s Jr and Hardee’s, the pressure from labor has been intense.
"He’s just for himself," said Yvonne Rodriguez. A single mother of four children, she works for minimum wage at Dunkin' Donuts in Hartford. And as a fast food worker, she has strong views on Puzder.
"He doesn’t believe that we should get breaks," said Rodriguez. "He believes that what we’re getting paid is enough already. He cheats people out of pay."
Puzder’s record as an employer is under attack. Court records show that during his time at the helm, his companies have been hit with more federal employment discrimination lawsuits than any other major hamburger chain.
Workers across the country filed 33 complaints against Puzder's companies on Thursday, including four allegations of sexual harassment, 22 complaints of wage and hour violations, and seven unfair labor practices charges.
He’s been reported to be having second thoughts about taking the government job, and has not yet filed his ethics and financial paperwork.
Richard Grimes works at Burger King in downtown Hartford. He believes the pressure on Puzder from workers' protests has made a difference.
"Hopefully we put more pressure on him, hopefully he actually does step down," he said, "and we get a better person who actually cares about us, and not just other companies, and does support higher wages."
