Take it for what it is: unconfirmed rumor but from the Associated Press:

 

A labor official says Rep. Hilda Solis of California will be nominated as labor secretary by President-elect Barack Obama.

The Democratic congresswoman was just elected to her fifth term representing heavily Hispanic portions of eastern Los Angeles County and east L.A. She is the daughter of Mexican and Nicaraguan immigrants and has been the only member of Congress of Central American descent.

The official spoke on conditions of anonymity because an announcement has not been made yet. A call to Solis’s office was not immediately returned.

Solis, 51, has focused on immigration and environment issues while in the House.

An announcement is expected from the Obama transition team in the next few days.

 UPDATED: this is pretty much confirmed. I’ve talked to labor people in the know. And I think it’s a great pick. Solis is 100 percent in labor’s camp, and she won’t need training wheels to get up-to-speed. What we don’t know yet is how big a voice she will have when it comes to going toe-to-toe with the Commerce, Treasury and other Administration voices for business. And a lot will depend on who she brings in below her to actually run the show…please, can we have competent people who actually can run big operations, as in that they’ve proven they can?