Alfred Burgess Robinson, Jr. has been named acting administrator of the Department
of Labor's Wage and Hour Division.
The appointment of Robison, formerly the division's deputy administrator, became
effective today, after being announced June 2 by U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine
L. Chao.
Robinson succeeds--at least temporarily--Tammy McCutchen, who won widespread
praise in business and HR circles for the way she oversaw the DOL's rewriting
of the overtime-exemption regulations in the Fair Labor Standards Act. The process,
long demanded by those who saw the old rules as unclear and woefully out of
date, took about two years and culminated with the announcement of the new rules
in April. They take effect on August 23.
Chao's news release on the appointment of Robinson makes no mention of McCutchen,
but it has been reported elsewhere that she resigned to return to private legal
practice.
The Wage and Hour Division is a key agency within the DOL, since it administers
not only the FLSA, but also to the Family and Medical Leave Act, migrant and
seasonal agricultural workers and immigration statutes, various government contract
wage laws, and other laws establishing labor standards.
Chao said Robinson already "has made a significant contribution to overseeing
the development of important labor law policies" since joining the DOL
in March 2001.
Previously, Robinson served as a member of the South Carolina House of Representatives,
was active in family businesses in Easley, South Carolina, and practiced law
with Wimberly, Lawson Daniels & Brandon, LLC in Greenville, South Carolina.
His legal experience concentrated on labor and employment law including affirmative
action, equal employment opportunity, Occupational Safety and Health Administration,
and wage and hour matters.
Prior to serving in the South Carolina General Assembly, Robinson served on
the board of the South Carolina Jobs-Economic Development Authority, where he
focused on job creation and economic development.
He holds a Bachelor of Science with Special Attainments in Commerce from Washington
& Lee University and a Juris Doctor Degree from the University of South
Carolina School of Law. Robinson, his wife Sallie, and two children live in
Virginia.
