Department of Labor Honors Cesar Chavez

Secretary Solis Unveils a Mural of Civil Rights and Labor Leader

This was an inspirational event honoring a great civil rights leader and his hard work to protect the many farmworkers who harvest our nation’s food.

Washington, D.C. (Vocus/PRWEB ) April 1, 2010 — David Strauss, Executive Director of the Association of Farmworker Opportunity Programs (AFOP) had the privilege of attending a reception at the U.S. Department of Labor yesterday morning in honor of Cesar Chavez Day. At the event, Secretary of Labor, Hilda Solis, unveiled a mural of worker’s rights champion, Cesar Chavez. The mural, which is done in a mosaic style, was created by students at the Las Artes Arts and Education Center in Tucson, AZ.

“This was an inspirational event honoring a great civil rights leader and his hard work to protect the many farmworkers who harvest our nation’s food,” said David Strauss of AFOP. “This is just another example of Secretary Solis’s dedication to protecting workers in America and her effort to ensure there are good jobs for everyone.”

While many improvements have been made on the labor rights front, most American farmworkers continue to live in poor conditions making just above or below the poverty line, earning an average of just $15,000 annually. Many farmworkers are not able to even afford the food that they harvest.

During the event, Secretary Solis discussed how far we have come in protecting worker’s rights, but noted that we still have a ways to go, offering renewed hope to workers that the Department of Labor recognizes these problems and is going to continue to search for solutions.

The Association of Farmworker Opportunity Programs (www.afop.org) is the national federation of nonprofit and public agencies that provide training and employment services to migrant and seasonal farmworkers. For additional comment or interview, please contact Ayrianne Parks at (202) 828-6006 x140.