Solis Defends Labor Dept. Focus on Enforcement

Workforce Management
February 3, 2010

Labor Secretary Hilda Solis defended her agency’s emphasis on enforcement against Republican charges that regulations hinder job creation at a Capitol Hill appearance on Wednesday, February 3.
In testimony before the House Education and Labor Committee, Solis touted an increase in the number of investigators conducting reviews of private-sector safety and pay practices. The Obama administration budget released on February 1 restores the enforcement staff to its 2001 levels.
Solis argued that it is imperative during tough economic times to crack down on employers who cheat workers out of wages and permit unsafe work environments.
“One way of combating that is to make sure we have troops on the ground,” she said.
She implied that enforcement was lax during the eight years of the George W. Bush administration. She compared reorienting the large agency to changing the direction of an aircraft carrier.
“We’re turning things around in the Department of Labor,” Solis said. “We’re moving every single day. Our rudders are on.”
Worker training also is a priority, according to Solis. She said the Obama administration supports reauthorization this year of the Workforce Investment Act, the law that governs many postsecondary training programs. The administration also is seeking to make the federal training system more streamlined, innovative and responsive to local hiring needs, Solis said.