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News Brief
Edward M. Kennedy inducted into Labor Hall of Honor
Who: U.S. Secretary of Labor Thomas E. Perez; former Labor Secretaries William E. Brock, Elaine Chao and Alexis M. Herman; Victoria Reggie Kennedy; Patrick Kennedy; Edward Kennedy Jr., William Kennedy Smith; U.S. Sens. Richard Durbin and Elizabeth Warren; and former congressman John Tierney.
What: Secretary Perez inducted the late Senator Edward M. Kennedy into the department's Hall of Honor, joined by the senator's sons, Ted, Jr., and Patrick, and former labor secretaries. The audience of about 400 people included Obama administration officials, leaders of labor organizations, friends of the Kennedy family and Department of Labor employees.
Excerpt from Secretary Perez's prepared remarks: "On just about every issue we touch here at the Labor Department, the trail has been blazed by Senator Kennedy. Whether it's protecting pensions, standing up for the health of miners, investing in job training and building the workforce system, fighting for equal pay for women, or helping veterans find good jobs, we stand on his shoulders. His work is our work."
Where: Frances Perkins Building, Washington, D.C.
Background: Established in 1988, the Hall of Honor posthumously honors the contributions made by extraordinary men and women throughout history for the betterment of work, workers and workplaces in America. Other luminaries previously inducted include Cesar Chavez, Samuel Gompers, Mother Jones, Frances Perkins, Charles Walgreen, Helen Keller and Walter Reuther.
Photo Caption: As U.S. Secretary of Labor Thomas Perez (left) applauds, Sen. Edward Kennedy's grandson Max Allen and widow Victoria Reggie Kennedy unveil Sen. Kennedy's plaque at his induction ceremony for the Labor Department Hall of Honor in Washington, D.C., March 12, 2015. Sen. Kennedy's sons Edward Kennedy, Jr. (far right) and Patrick Kennedy look on.