Tom Perez, the current U.S. Labor Secretary, has been a long-time advocate for justice and fairness as well as income equality. He’s a proponent of making “shared prosperity” not just water-cooler talk, but a major U.S. policy focus. He supports labor unions and knows that organizing workers can help achieve that by “lifting all boats.”
“Belonging to a union makes a powerful difference in people’s lives, providing greater economic security and helping them punch their ticket to the middle class,” said Perez.
Last week, he joined OCSEA and the AFSCME family at OCSEA Headquarters during the union's Get Out the Vote effort. He knows the importance of this year’s election for working families. See the photo gallery.
He’s also a proponent of raising the minimum wage. The federal minimum wage stands at a paltry $7.25 per hour. Even Ohio’s minimum wage is higher, at $8.50.
“Fifty years ago, a minimum wage salary could support a family; today it can barely keep the lights on. That’s why we need to raise the minimum wage and index it to inflation going forward,” Perez said at an AFL-CIO conference in January 2015.
Perez was born in 1961 to Dominican immigrants and has spent most of his life in public service with a focus on social justice and equality. Even though he attended Harvard, he wasn’t afforded a silver spoon in his mouth. Rather, he took out student loans, applied for grants and even worked as a trash collector to pay his way.