Hilda Solis

At times you feel like you're the only voice speaking out to improve the working conditions of people, whether it's to be able to collectively bargain, to get adequate pay, to know that you can come home safe out of a coal mine.

Young people need the hands-on training that comes with a summer job. They need to know how to dress for success and nail job interviews. But most of all, they need mentorship, guidance, and inspiration.

My parents raised me and my six siblings with little money... but lots of love.

No one has the right to threaten the health, education, and well-being of children by involving them in illegal or inappropriate work.

I think President Obama wanted to have the right fit for his different cabinet positions, and I believe that experience is what mattered most to him. In my case, I have been working to improve the overall quality of life for working families for most of my adult life, and I think that experience resonated with the president.

No family should have to depend on the labor of its children to put food on the table and no person should be forced to work in captivity.