Hilda Solis: Great Choice for Labor

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Before her appointment, Solis was not well known outside of California. But, with time, she could honor the spirit of Frances Perkins—FDR’s labor secretary and the first female Cabinet member—who was known for her tireless fight for American workers. Perkins’ name adorns the Labor Department building in Washington, D.C.

Like Perkins, Solis is a fighter for workers. She fought for farmworker rights in the California state legislature and later used her own funds to support a successful ballot initiative to raise the minimum wage.

Solis, too, has visited immigrant workers’ homes, marched with janitors, investigated sweatshops and fought to prosecute unethical employers. In 1995, she worked with UNITE HERE! to recover back wages for El Monte garment workers. She then helped pass California’s landmark anti-sweatshop law.

But the challenges facing Solis are formidable. The nation’s workforce is battered and increasingly unemployed, with job losses in 2008 expected to be about 2.5 million.

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http://www.inthesetimes.com/article/4181/hilda_solis_great_choice_for_labor/