WASHINGTON, DC - SEIU President Andy Stern issued the following statement following today's bipartisan vote by the U.S. Senate to confirm Hilda Solis' as the next Secretary of Labor.

As the daughter of two immigrant workers and union members who met in a citizenship class, today's vote to confirm Hilda Solis as Secretary of Labor proves the American Dream is still alive. Working men and women now have a Department of Labor they can count on to stand up and fight for them because Secretary Solis personally understands the challenges workers face in a global economy. For Secretary Solis this is not just another job, but the culmination of a lifetime of action serving as a voice for people who work.

"We were particularly happy to see that helping America's struggling families triumphed over partisan ideology as Senators from both parties came together to confirm Secretary Solis because of her unparalleled qualifications. We are hopeful that voters will receive the change they asked for in November, through cooperation in both chambers to ease economic pain and create well-paying jobs with strong benefits, such as quality health care coverage and a guaranteed retirement."

Leading up to today's vote, SEIU has been an outspoken leader in demanding a full vote on Secretary Solis.

• SEIU-organized coalition delivered more than 22,500 petition signatures to Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Chairman Senator Kennedy and Ranking Member Senator Enzi.
• More than 9,000 letters sent to the Senate from SEIU online activists in just the last 24 hours.
• More than 200 minutes of phone calls to Senate office over the past 24 hours.
• SEIU and progressive allies organized half dozen leading national blogs to contact Congress before vote.
• SEIU produced four YouTube videos in support of Solis in the last month, generating more than 20,000 online views.

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