Congressman Al Green and Special Guest U.S. Secretary of Labor Thomas Perez Host Annual Labor Leaders’ Meeting to Highlight the Importance of Workers’ Rights

(Houston, TX)--On Thursday, October 15, 2015, Congressman Al Green, a strong advocate of workers’ rights, hosted his Annual Labor Leaders’ Meeting with Keynote Speaker, Secretary of Labor Thomas Perez. Congressman Al Green introduced Secretary Perez as someone who fights every day for working men and women. Union leaders and local officials from across the Greater Houston Area and Texas voiced their concerns on labor issues. 

"Last week, President Obama convened the Summit on ‘Worker Voice’ to highlight the role workers and unions have played in building our economy and increasing shared prosperity for all Americans,” said Secretary of Labor Perez. “This morning I was fortunate to join Rep. Al Green and union leaders for a breakfast to celebrate their commitment to protecting collective bargaining and the rights of workers. It's no coincidence that when unions are strong, working families thrive. To create a better life for millions of middle-class families, we must continue to support ‘Worker Voice’ and the unions that have made a powerful difference in people's lives by providing greater economic security and helping them punch their ticket to the middle class." 

During the 114th Congress, Congressman Al Green, a long-time proponent of making the minimum wage a living wage, re-introduced the Original Living American Wage Act. The legislation would link the federal minimum wage to fifteen percent over the federal poverty threshold for a family of four ($23,850) and adjusts the minimum wage every four years to ensure that inflation does not erode its purchasing power.

“Too many people in our great nation are working full time and living in poverty. If you work full time, you should be able to live above the poverty line,” Congressman Al Green said. “One of the main goals of America should be the elimination of poverty wages: raising the wage to a living wage will help us accomplish this.”

Secretary Perez praised Congressman Al Green’s commitment to protecting workers’ rights as well as specifically addressing the important role unions play in building the middle class in our nation.