Equally to the point,  Labor Secretary
Elaine Chao has kept such a low profile that we doubt many in the US today even
know who she is.  She has been absent
from any serious White House conversations on domestic or international trade
and economic policy.  This, again, has
been intentional; the Bush Administration has never been inclined to suggest
that the Labor Department have a role in such discussions.

By failing to include the Labor Secretary appointment in the initial raft of
appointments for an economic team, the Obama transition team had already sent
an unfortunate signal that it intends, like the preceding Administration, to
adopt a framework of analysis that does not consider labor and employment as
central to the economic health of the US. 
We strongly disagree with such an analysis.  Moreover, by leaving the appointment till
last, the Obama team suggests that Solis will be no more important to the new
Cabinet than Secretary Chao proved to be within the old one.  This, too, is deeply discouraging for many
reasons, not least of which is the critical need of working people in the swing
states that provided President-elect Obama’s victory for stable and decent
jobs.

Ms. Solis is a capable and seasoned champion for many causes, and we do not
expect her to accept quietly stewardship of a weak and de-funded department, or
a backseat role for labor and employment issues.  We’d be thrilled to see her turn the ugly
duckling into a swan.  However, we
recognize that she will have an uphill battle in getting the attention of the
White House.  We wish her success in this
fight, and look forward to supporting her tenure over what we fervently hope
will be a revitalized department with a real mandate to enforce labor laws and workplace
protections, and to inform economic and trade policies that create decent and
meaningful employment for workers here in the US and around the world. 

American Rights at Work just posted a survey where people can vote about what Ms. Solis' top priorities should be for the Department of Labor -- check it out here!