President-elect Obama has selected Rep. Hilda Solis (D-CA) as Secretary of the Department of Labor. First elected to Congress in 2000, Rep. Solis is a longtime labor advocate and a congressional sponsor of the Employee Free Choice Act, a bill that would make it significantly easier for labor unions to organize workers. Rep. Solis is also the only member of Congress on the board of American Rights at Work, a pro-union group pushing for EFCA.
Labor leaders and activists have praised the President-elect’s selection for DOL Secretary; and Rep. Solis has indicated that, under her leadership, the DOL will focus on enforcing labor laws, strengthening labor unions, providing resources for training youth and displaced workers, and forging new anti-discrimination statutes. In addition, Rep. Solis projects that the DOL will commit to building “green collar” jobs in order to create new job growth, secure the country’s energy supply with alternative energy sources, and ensure economic security for working families.
Rep. Solis serves on the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, where she is Vice Chair of the Environment and Hazardous Materials (EHM) Subcommittee and a member of the Health and Telecommunications Subcommittees. She is also a member of the House Committee on Natural Resources and the new House Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming.
For additional information on the managing your company’s labor relations or labor union avoidance, please contact an attorney in Varnum’s Labor and Employment Relations Practice Team at 616/336-6000.