Pictured from left to right are Marcelle Leahy, wife of Senator Leahy, Lilly Ledbetter, U.S. Senator Patrick Leahy, Jeanne Hulit, SBA Regional Administrator, and Jacqueline Cooke, Women's Bureau Regional Administrator.
Vermont's "Women's Economic Opportunity Conference"
The U.S. Department of Labor Women's Bureau was a key sponsor of Vermont's "Women's Economic Opportunity Conference" presented by U.S. Senator Patrick Leahy and featuring special keynote speaker, Lilly Ledbetter, on October 17, 2009 at Vermont Technical College in Randolph, Vermont. Approximately 300 women participated in the exciting Conference hearing a stirring speech about the the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, the first bill signed into law by President Obama in January 2009, by Ms. Ledbetter. The Saturday event also included exhibits and workshops on the economy, resume writing, public speaking, business development, and education. The Women's Bureau staffed an exhibit table with information on non-traditional occupations for women, financial literacy, workplace flexibility, and the history of the Bureau. Additional sponsors and exhibiters included the Vermont Commission on Women, the Vermont Department of Labor, Vermont Works for Women, the Vermont Small Business Development Center, and Vermont Technical College.
Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis (click here)
Remarks as Prepared for Delivery
National Council of Negro Women
Washington, DC
December 2, 2009
Good morning.
It's a pleasure to be here.
Thank you Tina (Tchen) for that kind introduction.
I want to thank Tina Tchen (Chen) for work she's done for women and families, and the great work she is doing in the Office of Public Engagement and as Executive Director of the White House Council on Women and Girls.
Dorothy Height may be in the audience. I also want to acknowledge and thank Dr. Height for her decades of hard work for equality and human rights.
I'm proud to be part of the Obama Administration and serve my country as the Secretary of Labor. And I am proud to be part of an Administration dedicated to improving the lives of America's women and girls. I'm honored to work among a diverse group of women leaders in this administration, and to join the ranks of the largest contingent of African American women and Latina's to work for this president...
...All of these experiences and lessons have shaped me and my goal for the Department of Labor. My goal is simple ... a good job for everyone. Good jobs are:
- Jobs that can support a family by increasing incomes and narrowing the wage gap.
- Jobs that are safe and secure, and give people a voice in the workplace.
- Jobs that are sustainable — like green jobs.
- And jobs that rebuild and restore a strong middle class.
Good jobs are still a challenge for many of our young African-American and Latino brothers and sisters. And even though women have made great strides in education and in the job market, we need to take a closer look at the realities....
