President-elect Donald Trump is expected to nominate the head of fast-food chains Carl's Jr. and Hardee's to be America's next labor secretary.

Citing unnamed sources, The Wall Street Journal on Thursday morning reported that Andy Puzder, the outspoken CEO of CKE Restaurants Holdings Inc., is set to become Trump's pick for incoming Labor Department chief. Puzder would replace current Secretary Thomas Perez when the Obama administration packs up in January.

Puzder, who served as a jobs adviser and fundraising bundler for Trump during campaign season, has led the parent company of Carl's Jr. and Hardee's since 2000. He maintains a running blog, has written op-ed pieces for the Journal and has regularly made himself available for media interviews despite his high-ranking corporate status.

When asked in an interview with Fox Business last month if he'd be interested in serving in a then-hypothetical Trump administration, Puzder responded: "I think it would be the most fun you could have with your clothes on to be in this Cabinet and get things going."

In his writings and appearances, Puzder has been a vocal opponent of the Affordable Care Act, trade and immigration policies under the Obama administration and large minimum wage increases. In his Fox Business interview, he said "states have every right to decide what the minimum wage should be," but that he has "been opposed to minimum wage increases that kill jobs."

"States have a right to raise the minimum wage, as do many municipalities. And I think that’s a better solution than the government doing it, because the minimum wage in Alabama really shouldn’t be the same as the minimum wage up in San Francisco outside of Silicon Valley," he said.

He also said some of the recent state-enacted minimum wage jumps are at a level "where they would kill jobs" but conceded that "working in the federal government, there's really nothing you could do to stop states from raising the minimum wage."

The jury is out on whether the minimum wage hikes that have been enacted in recent years – most recently in states like Colorado, Washington, Maine and Arizona, but also in cities like San Francisco and Seattle – are actually detrimental to hiring. Some research suggests wage increases disincentivize employers from bringing on low-income workers, while other studies suggest there is no correlation for relatively small wage adjustments.

But should Puzder be confirmed, his appointment could represent a significant obstacle to progressives and the Fight for $15 movement's efforts to raise the federal minimum wage. Trump, for his part, has flip-flopped on the minimum wage topic, though in August his campaign told The Washington Post that he had supported a boost from $7.25 to $10 per hour for the federal level, but believes states should act on minimum wage hikes appropriate for them.

"With Mr. Puzder's nomination, Mr. Trump is choosing the wrong model for helping the working and middle classes – and businesses that depend on healthy consumer demand," David Levine, CEO of the American Sustainable Business Council, said in a statement Thursday. "The Department of Labor should continue pushing for the highest workplace standards instead of setting the bar at the lowest common denominator."

Puzder's selection is an interesting choice for a Trump administration that has vowed to generate substantial low- and middle-income job growth. Puzder has previously indicated he is an advocate for automation in the restaurant industry replacing certain low-wage jobs.