Andy Puzder Is a Threat to Progress
It is not news to anyone that social justice is not Donald Trump’s top priority. His rhetoric on women and minority groups is frightening to many. In addition to social justice-related fears, the threat of neglected workers rights and wages has been a concern for many Trump opponents since his campaign began several years ago. Andy Pudzer, CEO of CKE Restaurants, Hardee’s and Carl’s Jr., has been nominated by Trump for the position of labor secretary.
As the head of a major corporation, Pudzer is not known as an advocate for the average worker. Rather, he is known for his resistance against movements for an increased minimum wage and paid leave in the case of illness. He was also one of the first financial donors for the Trump campaign. Despite Pudzer’s emphasis on creating jobs for Americans, he has recently advocated for replacing employees of CKE restaurants with automation, arguing that machines are: “always polite, they always upsell, they never take a vacation, they never show up late, there’s never a slip-and-fall or an age, sex or race discrimination case.”
None of this is great news for employees of large corporations across the country, nor is Pudzer’s impeding leadership a good sign for any and all existing labor unions.
The business and advertising model of the Hardee’s and Carl’s Jr has long been rooted in sexism. Nationally broadcasted television advertisements over the years have featured countless women in skimpy clothing, sexualized and objectified mercilessly for the purpose of selling a hamburger or salad. . The company frequently features prevalent and famous women, including Kim Kardashian in a commercial for a line of grilled chicken salads in 2010. While this type of advertising has clearly garnered notoriety and sales for the corporation over the years, it has not gone without criticism. In response to accusations of an inappropriate sexualization of women in the name of selling a product, Pudzer responded: “I like our ads. I like beautiful women eating burgers in bikinis. I think it’s very American…I used to hear, brands take on the personality of the CEO…it kind of did take on my personality”. This statement holds considerable weight regarding his understanding of what a political figure should be contributing to the American identity. Pudzer’s understanding of what is American is more relevant than ever, as we prepare to live with a new Cabinet under the Trump Administration. Pudzer’s ideal America is one in which women are sexualized, objectified, and exploited for the purpose of capitalism and consumerism. Given his control over the Women’s Bureau, a sect of the Department of Labor that focuses on broadening the opportunities and protecting the rights of employed women, his views on gender roles could have serious implications for women nation-wide.
It is also critical to note his shifting views on the issue of immigration as it relates to the United States job market. Prior to his alliance with Trump and his administration, Puzder openly supported filling jobs for his restaurants with foreign workers over American workers. In 2013, he stated that immigrants were “not taking jobs from Americans, because there are not sufficient Americans applying for jobs”. Since then, he has made a complete switch in his beliefs, openly supporting Trump in his 10-step plan for immigration reform. This shift in opinion brings into question the integrity and sincerity of his publicly-expressed beliefs at any given moment in time.
All of this is to say that with the integration of businessmen into federal government, the American people must examine their representatives with a more astute eye. Now more than ever, know your government. Do not neglect to examine them in the context of the brand they have built for their business and for themselves when determining their reliability, priorities, and alliances. Despite Trump’s promise to advocate for the average, working class man or woman, no one’s rights are guaranteed.
