LA Times: Labor Secretary Hilda Solis pumps up crowd at workers conference

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-solis18-2009mar18,0,7957355.story




Justin Sullivan / Getty Images
U.S. Secretary of Labor, Hilda Solis, greets an onlooker at the Swords to Plowshares office today in San Francisco.

At the California Labor Federation event, former congresswoman from California promises to be an advocate for workers, though she failed to address the Employee Free Choice Act.
By Evelyn Larrubia
March 18, 2009

Reporting from Sacramento -- The hottest ticket for labor types this week was the California Labor Federation's joint legislative conference dinner in Sacramento, where former Rep. Hilda Solis -- fresh from her swearing-in as Labor secretary -- addressed a cheering crowd of nearly 1,000 people.

Despite Monday night's hoopla, Solis never mentioned the event's big theme: the Employee Free Choice Act, a revision of federal labor laws that unions have long sought. Instead, she reminisced with the crowd about past fights and promised to be an advocate for workers and for their right to join labor unions.



"This is where I learned how to fight and how to distinguish right from wrong and help put the rights of working class people above all others," Solis said Monday night. "The Labor Department is back in business to support working and middle class people -- and, furthermore, we're going to enforce our labor laws."

The crowd responded with a standing ovation and the signature clapping rhythm of the farm workers movement. At one point, someone yelled out: "I love you, Hilda."

Organizers and union representatives were thrilled at the homecoming and downplayed her silence on the bill.

"We weren't disappointed with the speech at all," said Steve Smith, spokesman for the California Federation of Labor. "Labor now has a seat at the table, which we have not had for at least eight years; some would say longer."

FULL story at link.