{"id":1415899,"date":"2022-04-02T08:15:01","date_gmt":"2022-04-02T12:15:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1415899"},"modified":"2022-04-02T08:15:05","modified_gmt":"2022-04-02T12:15:05","slug":"gabriella-hoffman-a-win-for-american-workers-the-senate-rejects-david-weil","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/gabriella-hoffman-a-win-for-american-workers-the-senate-rejects-david-weil\/","title":{"rendered":"Gabriella Hoffman: A Win for American Workers: The Senate Rejects David Weil"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">24<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fgabriella-hoffman-a-win-for-american-workers-the-senate-rejects-david-weil%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1415899&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><div><\/div>\n<aside id=\"aside1\" class=\"left aside-wrapper aside-wrapper-950\">\n<\/aside>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">It may be April Fools\u2019 Day, but the joke is on Congressional Democrats who supported David Weil\u2019s nomination to lead the Department of Labor\u2019s Wage and Hour Division again.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">On Wednesday evening, the U.S. Senate rejected <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hup.harvard.edu\/catalog.php?isbn=9780674975446&#038;content=reviews\">The Fissured Workplace<\/a> author in a cloture vote. By a 53-47 margin, all 50 Republicans and three Democratic Senators &#8211; Joe Manchin (D-WV), Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ), and Mark Kelly (D-AX) &#8211; delivered a major blow to Big Labor and the Biden administration.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">The message was resoundingly clear: David Weil\u2019s antiquated labor policies are anti-worker and fringe.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><strong>Weil\u2019s Dangerous Views Explained<\/strong><\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">Like most of President Biden\u2019s radical picks, Weil isn\u2019t a stranger to controversy.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">As Obama\u2019s Wage and Hour Division Administrator, he exceeded his authority on numerous occasions to advance Big Labor special interests at the expense of America\u2019s burgeoning independent workforce and small business owners.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">For example, his support for an ABC test to determine a worker\u2019s status automatically disqualified him. Had he returned to the Labor Department, Weil would have enacted one similar to California\u2019s Assembly Bill 5. I explained why in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nationalreview.com\/2022\/01\/imperiling-worker-freedom-at-the-department-of-labor\/\">NRO<\/a> back in January:\u00a0<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><em>In July 2015, Weil <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wagehourlitigation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/215\/2015\/07\/AI-2015_1.pdf\">issued<\/a> a memo known as an Administrator\u2019s Interpretation (AI), falsely stating that worker misclassification is common in the workplace. The AI <a href=\"https:\/\/onlabor.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/employment-ai.pdf\">claimed<\/a> that \u201cmost workers are employees under the FLSA\u2019s broad definitions\u201d of employment.<\/em><\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><em>If confirmed again, Weil would likely <a href=\"https:\/\/news.bloomberglaw.com\/daily-labor-report\/punching-in-what-marty-walsh-didnt-say-about-gig-worker-status\">adopt<\/a> an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.law.cornell.edu\/wex\/abc_test\">ABC test<\/a> \u2014 a metric used by states to determine a worker\u2019s status \u2014 on a national scale. This would create a presumption that all workers are <a href=\"https:\/\/crsreports.congress.gov\/product\/pdf\/R\/R46765\">employees<\/a>. His aim, allegedly, would be to prevent worker \u201cmisclassification,\u201d thereby undermining the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.vec.virginia.gov\/irs-20-factors-and-exemptions\">IRS-20 factor\u00a0<\/a>and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.jdsupra.com\/legalnews\/independent-contractor-test-revised-8722976\/\">revised<\/a> Trump-era \u201ceconomic realities\u201d tests used for determining worker status.<\/em>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><strong>Why Three Democrats Opposed Him<\/strong><\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">Despite <a href=\"https:\/\/townhall.com\/columnists\/gabriellahoffman\/2021\/04\/21\/manchin-betrays-freelancers-by-supporting-the-pro-act-n2588233\">supporting<\/a> the Protecting the Right Organize (PRO) Act, Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) came to his senses and realized David Weil doesn\u2019t represent the interests of West Virginia\u2014 a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.natlawreview.com\/article\/west-virginia-supreme-court-upholds-right-to-work-law\">right-to-work<\/a> state that greatly <a href=\"https:\/\/www.jdsupra.com\/legalnews\/west-virginia-enacts-legislation-to-8818259\/\">prizes<\/a> its independent contractors and small business owners.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">\u201cWest Virginia small businesses are the heart of our economy and our communities. Mr. Weil\u2019s track record and previous statements are problematic for many West Virginia employees and business owners. Ultimately, I could not support Mr. Weil because I do not believe that the health and well-being of our small businesses and the employees who rely on their success would be his utmost priority,\u201d Manchin <a href=\"https:\/\/www.manchin.senate.gov\/newsroom\/press-releases\/manchin-opposes-david-weil-for-wage-and-hour-administrator\">said<\/a> in an official statement.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">Why did the Arizona Senators, including one up for re-election this fall, help torpedo Weil\u2019s nomination alongside Manchin? For starters, the Grand Canyon State <a href=\"https:\/\/stacker.com\/arizona\/arizona-10-least-unionized-state\">isn\u2019t<\/a> a heavily unionized state. The AZ Central <a href=\"https:\/\/www.azcentral.com\/story\/news\/politics\/washington\/2022\/03\/31\/sens-mark-kelly-and-kyrsten-sinema-help-launch-labor-department-nominee\/7232346001\/\">noted<\/a>:\u00a0<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><em>With all nominees, Sinema applies a three-part test where she examines whether they are qualified for the job, whether they believe in the mission of the agency and whether they can be trusted to uphold the law.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><em>\u201cUpon reviewing Mr. Weil\u2019s nomination, she has concerns with his ability to faithfully execute and uphold the law,\u201d Sinema\u2019s spokesperson Hannah Hurley said in a statement to The Arizona Republic.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><em>Weil\u2019s views on independent-contractor status ultimately settled Kelly\u2019s decision.<\/em><\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><em>\u201cSenator Kelly heard concerns from many Arizona small businesses about this nominee\u2019s record, and ultimately shared those concerns and could not support the nomination,\u201d Kelly\u2019s spokesperson Jacob Peters said in a written statement. \u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><strong>Business Groups, Grassroots Activists Defeated This Biden Nominee\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">The coverage of David Weil\u2019s defeat largely downplayed the efforts of individual freelancers and small business owners. That\u2019s an unforgivable mistake on the media\u2019s part.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">Bloomberg Government, however, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bgov.com\/core\/news_articles\/R9ML67T1UM13\">acknowledged<\/a> their important efforts, writing, \u201cThe defeat of David Weil, the Biden administration\u2019s pick for top wage and hour regulator, was the result of a months-long grassroots campaign to specifically target and convince moderate Senate Democrats to vote against him.\u201d<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">\u201cSmall business owners, independent contractors and gig-economy entrepreneurs can breathe a sigh of relief today. A powerful DOL nominee with stone-age policy views was defeated in a procedural vote on the Senate floor with three Democrats joining all Republicans voting against the advancement of the nomination,\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/sbecouncil.org\/2022\/03\/31\/entrepreneurs-saved-from-dol-nominees-stone-age-policy-views-senate-defeats-weil-nomination\/\">said<\/a> Small Business &#038; Entrepreneurship Council president &#038; CEO Karen Kerrigan. \u201cDavid Weil\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/sbecouncil.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Weil-coalition-letter-2022-FINAL-1.pdf\">writings and record of action<\/a> during the Obama Administration show that he is an unapologetic opponent of independent work, entrepreneurship, and workplace flexibility. Our modern economy needs policies that allow for flexibility and for people to launch businesses without outdated barriers, or government rules that force them into working relationships they do not want, or do not meet their financial or lifestyle needs.\u201d<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><strong>Conclusion<\/strong><\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">The future of work is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.forbes.com\/sites\/jonyounger\/2022\/02\/01\/the-freelance-revolution-is-just-getting-started-key-trends-in-2022\/\">freelance<\/a>, not unionized jobs.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">Unsurprisingly, Big Labor\u2019s oft-discussed comeback <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wsj.com\/articles\/big-labors-resurgence-that-was-not-unions-starbucks-buffalo-membership-fell-2021-votes-strike-collective-bargaining-worker-janus-11642969843\">was<\/a> wildly exaggerated. And the numbers confirm this. Union jobs now <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bls.gov\/news.release\/pdf\/union2.pdf\">comprise<\/a> 10.3% of the workforce\u2014 down from 10.8% the year before.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">59 million freelancers, myself included, got the last laugh. We will rest a little easier at night knowing David Weil can\u2019t regulate us out of existence.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>It may be April Fools\u2019 Day, but the joke is on Congressional Democrats who supported David Weil\u2019s nomination to lead the Department of Labor\u2019s Wage and Hour Division<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":489,"featured_media":2315279,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1415899","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1415899","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/489"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1415899"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1415899\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2315279"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1415899"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1415899"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1415899"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}