Who is Pronita Gupta? The New Special Assistant To President Biden For Labor And Workers

Who is Pronita Gupta? US President Joe Biden recently picked Pronita Gupta a woman of Indian-American origin as special assistant for Labour and Workers on the Domestic Policy Council.

She is chosen for the key role in his administration alongside Micheal C. George, who is now the policy advisor to Vice President Kamala Harris.

Here are ten things you should know about Pronita Gupta:

1. Washington, DC native, Gupta is a BA graduate in Government from Clark University and studied Masters of Public Administration, Concentration in Advanced Policy Analysis from Columbia University.

2. In her new role she will be advocating for policies to "improve job quality for workers with low wages, strengthen worker protections, and increase economic security for working families with low incomes," a press release said.

3. Gupta's expertise lies in the areas of paid family and medical leave, pay equity, and other workplace labour standard.

4. Previously she was working as the Director of Job Quality Team at the Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP). She completed nearly four years with the company and will now join President Biden's administration.

5. Olivia Golden, executive director for the CLASP said that the Gupta is an "extraordinary leader" who "places people with low incomes and people of colour at the core of her work..." The nonprofit organisation works in advancing policy solutions for people with low incomes.

6. CLASP executive director also boasted that it is “incredibly proud that Pronita has been tapped for this critical role in the administration. With her deep expertise, integrity, analytical skills and passion for this work, Pronita will make an extraordinary contribution to the Biden-Harris administration’s plan to build an economy that addresses racial inequities, creates millions of job, and invests in jobs for the future.”

7. During the Obama Administration, Gupta made a name for herself as the Deputy Director of Women's Bureau at the US Department of Labor. She worked there for three years. In that role, she made a huge difference in advance and improve standards, practices and opportunities for women in the labor force.

8. Gupta’s 25-year career is spanned across multiple workers’ rights and progressive roles. She has previously served as senior director of programs for the Women Donors Network (WDN) as well as research director for Asian Americans/Pacific Islanders in Philanthropy. She also has extensive experience in community and labor organising.

9. She served as research director for SCOPE/AGENDA in Los Angeles, where she helped develop their health care jobs campaign. Notably, she has also worked for the Living Wage Campaign at the LA Alliance for a New Economy (LAANE) as research director.

10. Additionally, Gupta served as executive director of the Institute for Southern Studies and legislative director for the US Student Association.

Feature Image Credit: The Center for Law and Social Policy