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Alliance of Grassroots Groups for Worker Rights Welcome Advocate for Working People to Head U.S. Department of Labor
January 9, 2009
Washington, DC- Today the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee held confirmation hearings for Hilda Solis as the Secretary of Labor in the new Obama Administration.
The following is a
statement by the Center for Community Change and the Worker’s
Alliance for a Just Economy
(WAJE):
Our economy only works when working men and women are treated with dignity and respect on the job. Today's confirmation hearing for Congresswoman Hilda Solis is a critical demonstration of a commitment to improving the lives of working families. Solis has been a passionate leader defending workers’ rights to organize to improve workplace conditions, and will be a strong advocate in Washington to usher in a new era of employee/employer relations and encourage Congressional action on the Employee Free Choice Act.
“The strength of our economy and our communities depends
on the value placed on good jobs for everyone. It’s time that our nation’s
policies match our nation’s spirit. As
Congress and the incoming Obama Administration move to pass the largest economic
recovery and job creation package in our history, we are confident that Hilda
Solis will ensure that working people are valued for their role in making our
economy strong once again,” said Deepak Bhargava, Executive Director, Center
for Community Change.
“The Nashville Movement and other members of WAJE look forward to working with Hilda Solis in the coming years on her priorities of job training and workforce development, ensuring fair pay and safe workplaces, fixing the retirement security crisis, and fighting job discrimination," stated Megan Macaraeg, co-chair of the Nashville Movement, a coalition of workers, community organizations, students and congregations committed to ending poverty and winning respect, with and for the poorest workers in Nashville.
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The Worker’s Alliance for a Just Economy (WAJE) is a national coalition of 30 grassroots groups and networks formed to address a broad spectrum of worker justice issues at the national, state, and local levels. WAJE is an integral part of the Center for Community Change’s Campaign for Community Values: we believe that our individual success depends on the success of our communities, and that a strong economy requires the participation of all of us. www.communitychange.org
