Local Updates from the National AFL-CIO Convention in Pittsburgh

In the first address by a labor secretary to an AFL-CIO convention in more than eight years, Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis said unions are more important than ever in today's economic crisis: "Workers are under assault and they need the voice on the job that unions provide. I believe and I know union jobs are good jobs."

Update from Brad Lehto, Chief of Staff at Minnesota AFL-CIO: "We just heard from Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis.  She announced hiring 670+ new OSHA investigators.The Department of Labor is now finally back to 2001 levels.Since July, OSHA has issued over 1,000 penalties totaling 1.8 million dollars.She also talked passionately about Employee Free Choice Act and working with President Obama to get it passed." You can watch more of Hilda's speech to convention delegates here.

Above photo: Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis with Peggy Kreber, AFSCME Local 404 and Secretary of Mankato Labor Assembly, Brad Lehto, SE ALC Staffer Liz McLoone and Russell Hess, Treasurer of SE ALC.