Labor Leader To Head New York Fed

by Dollars and Sense

Yves Smith thinks it's a gimmick, but one that may have some unexpected consequences.

Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Naked Capitalism
Labor Leader Chosen to Head of New York Fed Board of Directors

Joseph Stiglitz has said that labor should have a voice in the setting of interest rate policy. Is this change at the New York Fed, teh appointment of the AFL-CIO's Denis Hughes as the replacement to ex Goldman co-chairman Steve Friedman as chairman of the New York Fed, a step in that direction?

If it proves to be, it will only be by dint of miscalculation. This is clearly an image-burnishing move by the Fed, throwing a bone to critics, But letting labor into the tent may have unexpected consequences, simply by allowing someone who has not drunk the financial services industry Kool-Aid more influence (Hughes was on the board, but as vice chairman). This appointment is only until year-end, but if the Fed continues to be under political pressure, it isn't hard to imagine this appointment being extended.

The Journal's Deal Journal voices the opposite possibility, that labor is being co-opted. The branding of labor as monolithic and radical is a bit of a canard. In the 1930s, the old AFL, which was a craft union, was comparatively conservative and regarded more favorably than upstart and aggressive CIO, for instance.

From the Wall Street Journal (hat tip reader LeeAnne):

Denis Hughes, president of the New York state branch of the AFL-CIO, had been serving as acting chairman of the New York Fed board since May, when Stephen Friedman stepped down from the position.

Mr. Friedman, a former Goldman Sachs Group Inc. chairman and adviser to President George W. Bush, had faced questions about his purchases of Goldman stock while serving on the New York Fed's board.

The Fed decision formalizes Mr. Hughes's role as chairman through the end of 2009. The Fed board in Washington will announce in November or December who will serve as chairman in 2010. Columbia University President Lee Bollinger was named deputy chairman, a position that Mr. Hughes previously held. Mr. Bollinger has been a New York Fed director since January 2007.

The New York Fed chairmanship typically has gone to prominent Wall Street executives or academics. The ascension of a labor leader is a new twist for the New York Fed and a sign of the public pressure the Fed has been under to loosen its close ties to Wall Street.

Labels: AFL-CIO, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Denis Hughes, Federal Reserve, Monetary Policy, Naked Capitalism, Yves Smith

 

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8/26/2009 10:37:00 AM