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Finally: Hilda Solis Confirmed as Secretary of Labor Today

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solis close upIt’s been a good while now since we
announced that the confirmation of Hilda
Solis (D-CA) as Secretary of Labor had been postponed. We reported on how the
administration had to appoint an interim secretary because the pro-worker, Latina representative’s
confirmation was being blocked by partisan bickering.

Well, today America’s Voice happily applauds the
confirmation of Representative Hilda Solis, a strong advocate for all workers
and a champion of comprehensive immigration reform, as Secretary of the U.S.
Labor Department.  

It’s about time.

Secretary Solis’ will lead the U.S. Department of Labor with
the rights of all workers in mind. She will an important ally in the fight for comprehensive
immigration reform. 

Why?

Secretary Solis (doesn’t that sound good?) understands how
our dysfunctional immigration system leads to worker exploitation.  When
millions of undocumented workers are without the protection of the law, it
encourages unscrupulous employers to undercut the wages and working conditions
of all workers.  These bad actor employers also undercut honest
competitors who do play fair.  Strong labor law enforcement combined with
immigration reform that brings undocumented workers out of the shadows will
restore integrity to both the labor market and the immigration system. 

America’s Voice was particularly pleased to see the petition effort organized by the Service
Employees International Union (SEIU), which gathered over 10,000 pledges of
support for Rep. Solis’ confirmation.They also led a calling campaign to drive calls in support of Solis’ confirmation.

We look forward to working with Secretary Solis, other
members of the Obama Administration, and our partners to make comprehensive immigration
reform a reality in the coming year.