New U.S. Secretary of Labor attends Mass in L.A.

[Omaha Steve]

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2009/03/new-us-secretar.html

5:41 PM | March 15, 2009

Two days after she was sworn in as U.S. Secretary of Labor, Hilda Solis thanked a standing-room-only crowd today for their support during Mass at Our Lady Queen of Angels Church in downtown Los Angeles.

Solis, who spent eight years in Congress representing El Monte before being named to President Obama’s cabinet, has deep roots in Los Angeles and long ties to organized labor.

Today, Solis sat in the first pew of the 189-year-old church known as La Placita. Next to her sat Dolores Huerta, a longtime labor activist who, along with Cesar Chavez and others, founded the precursor to the United Farm Workers union.

"We have somebody in there that’s going to really fight for workers. And not just because it’s her position as secretary of Labor, but because this is what’s she done from day one," Huerta said after the service.

Father Richard Estrada, speaking in Spanish, called Solis "a member of our community" and praised her appointment as a victory for working-class families.

Solis, 51, had an initially bumpy ride to her confirmation, including issues about her role in a nonprofit group that lobbied for the controversial Employee Free Choice Act and a revelation of $6,400 in outstanding tax liens owed on her husband’s auto repair business.

FULL story at link.

[demosincebirth]

1. Great pick for Sec of Labor