DOJ Official who Investigated Sheriff Arpaio Poised to Carry on Solis Legacy of Promoting Civil Rights, Supporting Low-wage, Immigrant Workers
03.18.2013 – Los Angeles, CA
In response to news that President Obama will nominate Thomas Perez as the next Labor Secretary, Pablo Alvarado, Executive Director of the National Day Laborer Organizing Network, issued the following statement:
“The appointment of Thomas Perez as head of the Department of Labor brings immigrants one step closer to equal rights at the workplace. It is a signal of the need for full labor protections within immigration reform.
Perez would be a strong choice to lead the Department. He brings with him his local experience in labor and a deep understanding from his time on the board of Casa de Maryland. His experience with the civil rights division of the Department of Justice is good grounding to carry on the legacy of former Secretary Hilda Solis. Solis truly made the Department of Labor serve to advance the lives of workers and improve the status of low-wage and immigrant workers. She set the standard for the position and raised the bar for anyone to follow. One of her last formal acts was to visit the day laborer worker centers in New York after Hurricane Sandy. She pledged to see that the health and safety of reconstruction workers be made a top priority.
Perez will leave a big hole to fill at the Department of Justice. Whoever takes up where he left off will have to complete the unfinished business in Arizona and elsewhere in the country where immigration and racial profiling have created civil rights crises.
We look forward to confirmation of Perez’ new position and pledge to work closely with the Department of Labor to protect and advance the rights of this country’s day laborers, immigrant, and low-wage workers to improve workplace conditions for everyone.”
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