Hilda Solis' Belief in Unions Runs Deep

[dcsmart]

Her father came from Mexico and was a Teamster who worked at a battery recycling plant. Her mother is from Nicaragua and had a union job on a Mattel assembly line.

Rep. Hilda Solis, the daughter of immigrants who lives in a modest home in El Monte not far from where she was raised, takes her first step to almost certain confirmation as U.S. secretary of Labor at a Senate hearing.

In eight years as a lawmaker in Sacramento and eight years in Congress, Solis has been an advocate for low-wage workers, particularly immigrants, and for organized labor.

Solis, 51, has a master's in public administration from USC and an undergraduate degree from Cal Poly Pomona, and has made her career in government. But her understanding of labor and immigration is not academic.

In a speech last year, Solis credited unions for her family's success. "Without the help, protection that we received, and retirement benefits, I know myself and my siblings would not be where they are today," she said.

Her ascent reflects labor's strength in Southern California and the influence of immigrants, especially Latinos, within a union movement that was crucial to electing Barack Obama to the White House.

"What we are looking at in Southern California today is the United States in 2040," said UC Berkeley professor Harley Shaiken, a labor historian.

Obama has made a point of appointing moderates to his Cabinet. Solis would be one of the most liberal members.


FULL ARTICLE:
http://www.pdamerica.org/articles/alliances/2009-01-11-08-57-57-alliances.php

[Omaha Steve]

1. The right hates her

I feel differently about her running the Labor Dept..