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Remarks Prepared for Delivery by
U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao
Cuban American National Council
Washington, D.C.
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Thank you, Guarione [Diaz, President and CEO, Cuban American National Council] for this very special honor! And, thank you for serving as a member of the Secretary's very important Advisory Committee on Apprenticeship.
Let me also acknowledge the many Administration officials and members of Congress here tonight. It's great to see so many friends in the audience.
The CNC has partnered with the Department of Labor to help Hispanic young people stay in school so they can reach their full potential. Staying in school is so important because our country is now in a knowledge-based economy. That means many of today's jobs require some form of education beyond a high school diploma, and greater skills. These are good-paying jobs that can provide the foundation for a family and a bright future. So we must encourage our young people to continue their education and make lifelong learning a habit.
The CNC partnership included a $1.4 million Department grant toward the organization's ALPHA program to address the needs of at-risk Hispanic youth.
At the Department we've worked hard to ensure that all workers are safe on the job, and fully and fairly compensated, especially in traditionally underserved communities.
We've recovered record amounts of wages for workers who were not fairly compensated. And since 2001, we've worked to help Hispanic workers with the result that the fatality rate among Hispanic workers has fallen by almost 22 percent.
The Department has also conducted aggressive outreach to the Hispanic and other underserved communities. We've translated various labor law materials into Spanish, held the first-ever Hispanic Safety and Health Summit, and instituted the annual Opportunity Conference to help participants succeed in mainstream America.
Cuban Americans have made tremendous contributions to our country, including their longstanding commitment to justice in their homeland. You've succeeded in making the challenging transition to life in America using their talent, hard work and determination. And, you've had a positive impact on our nation's economic, cultural, social, and political landscape.
I've had the great pleasure of working with two outstanding Cuban American members of the President's cabinet: Carlos Gutierrez, the first Cuban American Secretary of Commerce, and Sen. Mel Martinez, who previously was U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development. You must be very proud of them! And the Cuban American community has contributed many leaders to the U.S. Congress, and to state and local governments, as well.
So once again, thank you for this very special award.
May God Bless you! And may God bless America!
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