RWDSU President Appelbaum's Statement on Smith Appointment (3/20/09)

STATEMENT BY STUART APPELBAUM, PRESIDENT OF THE RWDSU

RE: President Obama's nomination of New York State Department of Labor Commissioner M. Patricia Smith for solicitor of labor at the U.S. Department of Labor.

"Commissioner Patricia Smith has been a leading, lifelong and passionate advocate for the working men and women of our city and state. From her long tenure in the Office of Attorney General's Labor Bureau fighting against such core labor issues as wage theft
and unscrupulous retailers to her years at legal service organizations representing the struggles and abuses of minimum wage workers, Patricia Smith has been a true labor hero. Her outstanding record in New York State fits well with the true mission of the Labor Department, to protect and further the rights and opportunities of working people.

On behalf of the men and women of the RWDSU, we are proud of Patricia Smith and congratulate her on her nomination for solicitor of labor for the U.S. Department of Labor. There is no doubt that President Obama has chosen a labor solicitor who will be a highly
positive force in a long-neglected arena."