Labor secretary visits Cincinnati

Associated Press

CINCINNATI

The secretary of the U.S. Department of Labor says he has a lot to learn from faithful union members.

Labor Secretary Thomas Perez on Monday spoke at the annual Labor Day picnic in Cincinnati.

The Cincinnati Enquirer reports Perez told the crowd that Ohio labor unions showed the nation how to unite against measures restricting public-sector unions.

Perez was referring to the collective-bargaining law known as Senate Bill 5 that Ohio voters overwhelmingly repealed last November.

Perez, whose remarks lasted about 10 minutes, also touched on President Barack Obama’s push to boost the federal minimum wage from $7.25 to $9 an hour.

Perez took helm of the department a little more than a month ago. He has said his primary role will be as a workers advocate.