White House Withdraws Leon Rodriguez's Nomination to WHD

Posted on August 8, 2011 by Ilyse Schuman

Without explanation, the White House has withdrawn its nomination of Leon Rodriguez to be the Administrator of the Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division (WHD). Rodriguez was nominated to fill the WHD’s top position in December 2010 after Obama’s first nominee, Lorelei Boylan, withdrew from the confirmation process in October 2009. According to information provided by the White House, Leon Rodriguez serves as Deputy Assistant Attorney General and Chief of Staff in the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice, where he oversees the operations of the Division and leads its work on immigration and national origin-related civil rights matters.

Photo credit: borisyankov

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White House Task Force Announces DOL-ABA Partnership to Facilitate Wage and Hour Challenges

Posted on November 22, 2010 by Ilyse Schuman

Speaking at a White House Middle Class Task Force event, Vice President Joe Biden announced that the Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division (WHD) and the American Bar Association (ABA) have forged a partnership to help process certain employment-related claims filed with the Division. Starting in December, the WHD will provide workers whose minimum wage, overtime, or family medical leave claims cannot be pursued by the DOL with a toll-free number through which they will be able to obtain the contact information of an ABA-approved attorney in their area. According to the DOL, due to limited resources, the agency is unable to pursue “thousands” of wage and hour claims. The toll-free legal referral service, said Biden, will help workers pursue their cases “in a way that is affordable.” Most of these ABA-vetted lawyers will provide their services on a contingency basis. According to the ABA, this partnership between a federal agency and the private bar is the first of its kind.

Photo credit:  Simon McConico Photography

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