Labor nominee Puzder's company wins discrimination trial delay as confirmation loomsWASHINGTON (Reuters) - Labor secretary nominee Andrew Puzder, the controversial business leader expected to undergo a U.S. Senate confirmation hearing next week, will be spared an emotionally weighted and concurrent discrimination trial against the restaurant group he heads. A state court in Orange County, California, has granted CKE Restaurants Inc a delay from Feb. 27 - when the full Senate might still be considering Puzder’s nomination - to early June for an age and disability discrimination lawsuit after the company cited “negative publicity” generated by his nomination. Puzder, CKE Restaurants’ chief executive, has been under fire by Democrats and labor groups for opposing increases in the minimum wage and aiming to curb worker protections. But his expected confirmation by a Republican majority in the Senate has not been knocked off track. By the June 5 trial, he may be labor secretary and well along the way to divesting himself from the company. Puzder agreed to divest his stakes in CKE, worth anywhere between $11 million and $55 million, if confirmed, according to an ethics submission reviewed by Reuters. Puzder’s confirmation hearing has been repeatedly delayed as a government ethics office reviewed his plan to divest from CKE, which owns franchised restaurants, including Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s. Puzder also promised to divest his holdings in more than 200 assets, including Berkshire Hathaway Inc, Altria Group Inc, Bank of America Corp and Cisco Systems Inc, within 90 days of his confirmation. He will divest from more illiquid funds within 180 days, but he declined to provide details for some of the funds’ underlying assets, citing a confidentiality agreement. The California case was brought by James Dombrowski, whose employment was terminated as he recovered from a brain biopsy, according to court filings.  CKE’s franchised restaurants have faced wage-and-hour and labor condition complaints from workers, but the Dombrowski case is against the holding company largely controlled by Puzder.  CKE was also named in an antitrust lawsuit filed by current and former Carl’s Jr. workers in a California court on Wednesday that alleges a scheme to suppress wages across its franchises by using “no hire” agreements. Dombrowski claims that he was fired by CKE when he tried to return to work in 2015, at the age of 68, after taking a disability leave following a brain biopsy which temporarily paralyzed him.  CKE’s attorney in the Dombrowski case, Scott Ferrell,  argued that the negative publicity surrounding CKE’s business practices due to Puzder’s fame as a Cabinet nominee would hurt the company’s ability to have a fair jury trial, not that the case would in any way hurt Puzder’s ability to be confirmed. Ferrell declined to comment on the case. Dombrowski’s attorney did not respond to requests for comment. A representative of Puzder also declined to comment. CKE Restaurants has said it is up to its franchises to set wages and working conditions and they are protected from liability as a franchisor. Senator Susan Collins, who is on the panel that will hold Puzder’s initial confirmation hearing next week, said she has not made a decision regarding Puzder. Collins was one of two Republicans to vote against Betsy DeVos, who was confirmed on Tuesday to head President Donald Trump’s Department of Education. “I have not reached a decision. I almost always wait until there’s a hearing, unless I know the individual well,” Collins said on Thursday.  “I’ve had two conversations with Mr. Puzder and I think there are questions outstanding that will be, I’m sure, delved into at his hearing,” she added. Puzder, an enthusiastic early supporter of Trump, has lobbied against efforts to raise the minimum wage and is expected to roll back rules aimed at curbing unpaid overtime and improving worker safety if confirmed to head the Labor Department. politicsNews
labor nominee under company wins discrimination trial delay confirmation loomswashington reuters labor secretary nominee andrew under controversial business leader expected undergo senate confirmation hearing next week spared emotionally weighted concurrent discrimination trial restaurant group heads a state court orange county california granted cke restaurants inc delay full senate might still considering under nomination early june age disability discrimination lawsuit company cited negative publicity generated nomination under cke restaurants chief executive fire democrats labor groups opposing increases minimum wage aiming curb worker protections but expected confirmation republican majority senate knocked track by june trial may labor secretary well along way diverting company under agreed divest stakes cke worth anywhere million million confirmed according ethics submission reviewed reuters under confirmation hearing repeatedly delayed government ethics office reviewed plan divest cke owns franchise restaurants including carl harder under also promised divest holdings assets including berkshire pathway inc altar group inc bank america corp cisco systems inc within days confirmation he divest liquid funds within days declined provide details funds underlying assets citing confidentiality agreement the california case brought james dombrowski whose employment terminated recovered brain biopsy according court filings cke franchise restaurants faced labor condition complaints workers dombrowski case holding company largely controlled under cke also named antitrust lawsuit filed current former carl workers california court wednesday alleges scheme suppress wages across franchises using hire agreements dombrowski claims fired cke tried return work age taking disability leave following brain biopsy temporarily paralyzed cke attorney dombrowski case scott ferret argued negative publicity surrounding cke business practices due under fame cabinet nominee would hurt company ability fair jury trial case would way hurt under ability confirmed ferret declined comment case dombrowski attorney respond requests comment a representative under also declined comment cke restaurants said franchises set wages working conditions protected liability franchise senator susan collins panel hold under initial confirmation hearing next week said made decision regarding under collins one two republicans vote bets demos confirmed tuesday head president donald trump department education i reached decision i almost always wait hearing unless i know individual well collins said thursday i two conversations under i think questions outstanding i sure delve hearing added under enthusiastic early supporter trump lobbied efforts raise minimum wage expected roll back rules aimed curling unpaid overtime improving worker safety confirmed head labor department politicsnews
Your task is to classify the provided input as real or fake news. Label 0 is meant for fake news, Label 1 is for real news. TEXT: Labor nominee Puzder's company wins discrimination trial delay as confirmation loomsWASHINGTON (Reuters) - Labor secretary nominee Andrew Puzder, the controversial business leader expected to undergo a U.S. Senate confirmation hearing next week, will be spared an emotionally weighted and concurrent discrimination trial against the restaurant group he heads. A state court in Orange County, California, has granted CKE Restaurants Inc a delay from Feb. 27 - when the full Senate might still be considering Puzder’s nomination - to early June for an age and disability discrimination lawsuit after the company cited “negative publicity” generated by his nomination. Puzder, CKE Restaurants’ chief executive, has been under fire by Democrats and labor groups for opposing increases in the minimum wage and aiming to curb worker protections. But his expected confirmation by a Republican majority in the Senate has not been knocked off track. By the June 5 trial, he may be labor secretary and well along the way to divesting himself from the company. Puzder agreed to divest his stakes in CKE, worth anywhere between $11 million and $55 million, if confirmed, according to an ethics submission reviewed by Reuters. Puzder’s confirmation hearing has been repeatedly delayed as a government ethics office reviewed his plan to divest from CKE, which owns franchised restaurants, including Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s. Puzder also promised to divest his holdings in more than 200 assets, including Berkshire Hathaway Inc, Altria Group Inc, Bank of America Corp and Cisco Systems Inc, within 90 days of his confirmation. He will divest from more illiquid funds within 180 days, but he declined to provide details for some of the funds’ underlying assets, citing a confidentiality agreement. The California case was brought by James Dombrowski, whose employment was terminated as he recovered from a brain biopsy, according to court filings.  CKE’s franchised restaurants have faced wage-and-hour and labor condition complaints from workers, but the Dombrowski case is against the holding company largely controlled by Puzder.  CKE was also named in an antitrust lawsuit filed by current and former Carl’s Jr. workers in a California court on Wednesday that alleges a scheme to suppress wages across its franchises by using “no hire” agreements. Dombrowski claims that he was fired by CKE when he tried to return to work in 2015, at the age of 68, after taking a disability leave following a brain biopsy which temporarily paralyzed him.  CKE’s attorney in the Dombrowski case, Scott Ferrell,  argued that the negative publicity surrounding CKE’s business practices due to Puzder’s fame as a Cabinet nominee would hurt the company’s ability to have a fair jury trial, not that the case would in any way hurt Puzder’s ability to be confirmed. Ferrell declined to comment on the case. Dombrowski’s attorney did not respond to requests for comment. A representative of Puzder also declined to comment. CKE Restaurants has said it is up to its franchises to set wages and working conditions and they are protected from liability as a franchisor. Senator Susan Collins, who is on the panel that will hold Puzder’s initial confirmation hearing next week, said she has not made a decision regarding Puzder. Collins was one of two Republicans to vote against Betsy DeVos, who was confirmed on Tuesday to head President Donald Trump’s Department of Education. “I have not reached a decision. I almost always wait until there’s a hearing, unless I know the individual well,” Collins said on Thursday.  “I’ve had two conversations with Mr. Puzder and I think there are questions outstanding that will be, I’m sure, delved into at his hearing,” she added. Puzder, an enthusiastic early supporter of Trump, has lobbied against efforts to raise the minimum wage and is expected to roll back rules aimed at curbing unpaid overtime and improving worker safety if confirmed to head the Labor Department. politicsNews
Your task is to classify the provided input as real or fake news. Label 0 is meant for fake news, Label 1 is for real news. TEXT: labor nominee under company wins discrimination trial delay confirmation loomswashington reuters labor secretary nominee andrew under controversial business leader expected undergo senate confirmation hearing next week spared emotionally weighted concurrent discrimination trial restaurant group heads a state court orange county california granted cke restaurants inc delay full senate might still considering under nomination early june age disability discrimination lawsuit company cited negative publicity generated nomination under cke restaurants chief executive fire democrats labor groups opposing increases minimum wage aiming curb worker protections but expected confirmation republican majority senate knocked track by june trial may labor secretary well along way diverting company under agreed divest stakes cke worth anywhere million million confirmed according ethics submission reviewed reuters under confirmation hearing repeatedly delayed government ethics office reviewed plan divest cke owns franchise restaurants including carl harder under also promised divest holdings assets including berkshire pathway inc altar group inc bank america corp cisco systems inc within days confirmation he divest liquid funds within days declined provide details funds underlying assets citing confidentiality agreement the california case brought james dombrowski whose employment terminated recovered brain biopsy according court filings cke franchise restaurants faced labor condition complaints workers dombrowski case holding company largely controlled under cke also named antitrust lawsuit filed current former carl workers california court wednesday alleges scheme suppress wages across franchises using hire agreements dombrowski claims fired cke tried return work age taking disability leave following brain biopsy temporarily paralyzed cke attorney dombrowski case scott ferret argued negative publicity surrounding cke business practices due under fame cabinet nominee would hurt company ability fair jury trial case would way hurt under ability confirmed ferret declined comment case dombrowski attorney respond requests comment a representative under also declined comment cke restaurants said franchises set wages working conditions protected liability franchise senator susan collins panel hold under initial confirmation hearing next week said made decision regarding under collins one two republicans vote bets demos confirmed tuesday head president donald trump department education i reached decision i almost always wait hearing unless i know individual well collins said thursday i two conversations under i think questions outstanding i sure delve hearing added under enthusiastic early supporter trump lobbied efforts raise minimum wage expected roll back rules aimed curling unpaid overtime improving worker safety confirmed head labor department politicsnews