Statement by Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis on 85th birthday of Cesar E. Chavez

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Mar 29, 2012, 04:42 ET

WASHINGTON, March 29, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis today issued the following statement on the anniversary of the birthday of Cesar E. Chavez:

"Saturday, March 31, will mark the 85th anniversary of the birth of Cesar E. Chavez, a man whose life of struggle for equality and justice is one of America's most powerful stories of courage and victory. That story is a personal inspiration for me, a farm worker's daughter from the same California land where Cesar E. Chavez came of age as a migrant farm worker facing discrimination, poverty and dangerous working conditions.

"This week, my department was honored to welcome members of the Chavez family and current and former leaders of the United Farm Workers of America to induct the pioneers of the farm worker movement into the new Labor Hall of Honor and dedicate our auditorium to Cesar E. Chavez. With Dr. Jill Biden, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar, Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, Labor Department employees and many other dear friends, I had the great pleasure to celebrate the enduring contributions that Cesar E. Chavez made to La Causa – the ongoing pursuit of social justice and workers' rights. President Obama has proclaimed March 31, 2012, to be 'Cesar Chavez Day.'

"I'm proud to serve as United States secretary of labor in an administration that's committed to enforcing our labor laws for every worker in this country. All working people are entitled to dignity and respect. All workers in America have the right to safe working conditions. All workers have the right to be paid the full wages they are owed. Cesar E. Chavez faced harsh and sometimes dangerous opposition to help us live up to these ideals, and I promise to carry on that legacy until every farm worker in every community claims the dignity that is his or her birthright.

"As we continue the struggle, we look to Cesar E. Chavez and the pioneers of the farm worker movement to show us the way."

U.S. Department of Labor news materials are accessible at http://www.dol.gov. The information above is available in large print, Braille or CD from the COAST office upon request by calling 202-693-7828 or TTY 202-693-7755.

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SOURCE U.S. Department of Labor