President-elect Obama is expected to announce his nomination of Congresswoman Hilda L. Solis from California as the new Secretary of Labor. The nomination ends weeks of speculation, with potential nominees including Harley Shaiken, Mary Beth Maxwell, former Rep. David Bonior, and Rep. Rosa DeLauro. Rep. Solis is a liberal Democrat who has voted with her party 98.4% of the time during the current Congress. Rep. Solis will be the third Hispanic nominated to a cabinet position by President-elect Obama, joining Gov. Bill Richardson (Commerce) and Sen. Ken Salazar (Interior).

While not a member of the House Committee on Education and Labor, Rep. Solis has served on the Committees on Energy and Commerce, Natural Resources, and Energy Independence and Global Warming.  Her voting record during her four terms in Congress reveals that she is sympathetic to numerous worker and union positions. 

Unions.  A strong supporter of union rights, Rep. Solis cosponsored the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA) (H.R. 800). This legislation would (1) allow unions to gain certification with a card-check procedure instead of the traditional election process, (2) require binding arbitration for first-time contracts that are not concluded within 120 days, and (3) increase penalties for unfair labor practices committed by employers during initial bargainin. Labor unions invested heavily in the 2008 election, and the EFCA is their top legislative priority. 

Minimum Wages.  Rep. Solis has been a long-time supporter of increasing the minimum wage.  As a California state senator in 1996, she had a prominent role in the effort to increase California’s minimum wage to $5.75 per hour. In the House of Representatives, she cosponsored the Fair Minimum Wage Act (H.R. 2), which ultimately led to an increase in the federal minimum wage to $7.25 per hour (Public Law 110-28). 

Unemployment Benefits. In June 2008, Rep. Solis voted for the 13-week extension of unemployment benefits for workers who have lost their jobs in the recent economic downturn (Public Law 110-252). On her website, Rep. Solis argues that an extension of unemployment benefits is a cost-effective and fast-acting economic stimulus. 

 ”Green Collar” Jobs. Rep. Solis has actively supported increased investment in “green collar” jobs. These jobs include green building, energy efficiency retrofit and service, and renewable energies such as wind, solar and biofuels. She cosponsored the CLEAN Energy Act of 2007 (H.R. 6) that provided for $125 million for green collar job training. President Bush signed the CLEAN Energy Act into law on December 19, 2007 (Public Law 110-140). 

Anti-Free Trade. Rep. Solis has resisted any trade agreement that does not include strong labor, environmental, and human rights protections. She voted to suspend fast track procedures for the Colombia Free Trade Agreement because of workers rights violations and other human rights issues in Colombia. Rep. Solis also voted against the Central America Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) and granting the President “Fast Track” trade negotiating authority.

Workplace Safety.  Rep. Solis supports expanded safety and health regulation. She cosponsored the Protecting America’s Workers Act (H.R. 2049), which would increase penalties against employers for worker safety violations, enhance protections for whistleblowers, and require employers pay for personal protective equipment that keeps workers safe. Rep. Solis has also supported increased funding for the Department of Labor to combat poor working environments, especially sweatshop activity in the United States and abroad.