Outgoing U.S. Labor Secretary Has Been Top Union Bosses' 'Humble Servant'

Former Congresswoman Hilda Solis, the tunnel-visioned promoter of compulsory unionism whom President Barack Obama selected as his labor secretary four years ago, recently announced her resignation.  In a Washington Examiner commentary (see the link below), journalist Sean Higgins observes that, while it was par for the course that a pro-union monopoly President would choose an ideological ally to head the Labor Department, Solis “set new standards for bowing and scraping before the interests she was supposedly meant to regulate.  She was quite open about it too”:

“I am proud and humbled to be your humble servant as labor secretary,” Solis said at the 2009 AFL-CIO convention in Pittsburgh. For good measure, Solis also told the convention that then-outgoing AFL-CIO President John Sweeney was her “good friend and colleague” as well as “our president.” . . .

In his first term, President Obama was unable to deliver what the unions wanted most — card-check legislation to make workplace organizing drives easier. But Solis, a major cheerleader for that legislation, delivered in other areas. . . .

She . . . pushed to broaden requirements for businesses to disclose the labor law consultants they hire. (This regulation is still pending.) Previously, public disclosure was only required when the consultants also talked to employees. Now, any lawyer whom management hires will have his contract made public. This will likely drive many out of the business altogether. Which will suit unions just fine.

On the other hand, Solis rolled back transparency regulations put in place . . .  to uncover fraud and embezzlement by union officials. The Federal Register announcement actually said the rollback was “to avoid overburdening unions and their officials with unnecessary reporting requirements.”

Sean Higgins: Richard Trumka for labor secretary