Alsobrooks: “Now, sir, you are a labor and employment attorney and you were a leader at the Department for years – is that correct? And you don’t know about collective bargaining agreements?”
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Senator Alsobrooks (D-Md.), member of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP), questioned the Trump Administration’s Nominee for Deputy Secretary of Labor, Keith Sonderling.
She asked him a simple question about collective bargaining.
He struggled to answer.
Watch the exchange below.
WATCH ALSOBROOKS’ FULL QUESTIONING HERE
Senator Alsobrooks: So can you commit to abide by all terms and conditions of the Department’s collective bargaining agreement and do you understand the collective bargaining process?
Mr. Sonderling: I am not a traditional labor lawyer. But I know we have a lot of experts at the Department of Labor career staff in the solicitor’s office that are experts in dealing with federal government unions and collective bargaining. And I trust them fully.
Senator Alsobrooks: Now, sir, you are a labor and employment attorney and you were a leader at the Department for years – is that correct? And you don’t know about collective bargaining agreements?
After the hearing, Alsobrooks issued the following statement:
“Keith Sonderling claimed he didn’t know about collective bargaining. And this is the man who wants to be the Deputy Secretary of Labor? If billionaire co-President Elon Musk were serious about rooting out waste, fraud, and abuse, he’d start with some of these disastrous nominees who lack the experience, judgement, knowledge, and qualifications to do these jobs on behalf of the American people.”
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