U.S. Labor Secretary Hilda Solis
Hilda Solis was born in Los Angeles, California as the daughter of immigrant parents. She comes from a family with strong labor roots. Her father, originally from Mexico, was a Teamster shop steward who fought for better benefits and wages for all workers. Her mother, who was born in Nicaragua, was a member of the United Rubber Workers.
Secretary Solis was the first of her family to attend college. She graduated from California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, and earned a Master of Public Administration degree from the University of Southern California. A former federal employee, she worked in the Carter White House Office of Hispanic Affairs and was later appointed as a management analyst with the Office of Management and Budget in the Civil Rights Division.
Secretary Solis was first elected to public office in 1985 as a member of the Rio Hondo Community College Board of Trustees. She served in the California State Assembly from 1992 to 1994, and in 1994 made history by becoming the first Latina elected to the California State Senate. As the chairwoman of the California Senate Industrial Relations Committee, she led the battle to increase the state's minimum wage from $4.25 to $5.75 an hour in 1996. She also authored a record 17 state laws aimed at combating domestic violence.
In 2001, Hilda Solis was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives to represent the 32nd Congressional District in California, a position she held from 2001 – 2009. While in the Congress, her priorities included expanding access to affordable health care, protecting the environment, and improving the lives of working families.
As a member of Congress, she voted consistently on the side of workers, and co-sponsored the Employee Free Choice Act bill in the House. Her own background as the daughter of a union shop steward from Mexico and an assembly line worker from Nicaragua has led her to stand up and speak out for working families, even against powerful interest groups and big business.
She was nominated by President Barack Obama to serve as Secretary of Labor on January 20, 2009, and confirmed by Congress on February 24, 2009.
Secretary Solis has been a longtime UFCW partner and a loyal champion for working families, fighting for workers’ rights and safety. She has been a tireless advocate for UFCW members. During the Southern California strike, she stood in solidarity on the picket line with UFCW members and their families. When OSHA refused to move quickly to stop food processing workers’ exposure to diacetyl—a chemical used in flavorings and linked to bronchiolitis obliterans—Solis wrote to former Labor Secretary Elaine Chao calling for an Emergency Temporary Standard to protect workers. She has applauded President Hansen and the UFCW for exposing the detrimental impacts of workplace immigration raids.
Secretary of Labor, Hilda Solis has been a loyal champion for working Americans, fighting for workers’ rights and safety, putting the interests of working people first.
 |
 |
|
Famous Labor Leaders |
|
|
US/Latin-American Solidarity |
|
|
UFCW United Latinos |
|
|
Latino Activists |
|
|
Hispanic Pop Culture |
|
|
Latino Immigration |
|
Leadership Profiles |
|
|
Hispanic Heritage Month Index Hispanic Heritage Month: The National Commission on ICE Misconduct and Violations of the 4th Amendment Rights |
