This morning, President Obama formally nominated Thomas Perez to be the next Secretary of the Department of Labor. Mr. Perez, an assistant U.S. Attorney General, will replace outgoing Secretary Hilda Solis. Mr. Perez’s nomination is widely supported by the labor community.
Mary Kay Henry, the president of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), stated on NBCNews.com's First Read:
President Obama has made an excellent choice in nominating Thomas Perez to lead the U.S. Department of Labor. During his time as Labor Secretary in Maryland, Mr. Perez’s had a strong record of enforcing labor laws, especially wage and hour and other violations that stood in the way of workers earning a fair wage. Enforcing these labor laws help to close the income gap between the wealthy and everyone else.
While we will learn more about Mr. Perez during the confirmation process, it does seem likely that the DOL’s wage and hour initiatives will continue under his leadership.
