Patrick works for workers

ON LABOR DAY, Americans honor the contributions of labor to American life. Today the two of us, former secretaries of labor in the Clinton administration, honor and endorse the candidacy of someone we believe has demonstrated a commitment to improving the conditions of working people -- Deval Patrick.

We know Patrick from his work in the Clinton administration as the Justice Department's chief civil rights prosecutor. He took on crimes such as attacks on churches and synagogues, gave life to the Americans with Disabilities Act, and inspired a groundbreaking fair lending program that helped focus lenders on risk rather than race and gave thousands of people a chance to own their first homes.

Patrick grew up in a desperately poor, segregated neighborhood; yet he has counseled leaders of international industry and a president of the United States. He has worked alongside the powerful as a businessman and the vulnerable as a civil rights and poverty attorney. Having worked his way from underfunded public schools to Harvard College and Harvard Law School, he knows the power of education. To his candidacy, he brings a strong intellect, creativity, and humility. To government, he brings a reason to hope.

An ability to bring contentious parties together is a wonderful quality. In a governor, it is essential. Patrick has a unique blend of public, private, nonprofit, and community experiences that make him ideal for the job of governor. It is testimony to his skills at mediation that after he was appointed by a federal judge to assure that Texaco had cleaned up its hiring practices, the company subsequently hired him to manage its global legal affairs.

At Coca-Cola, he not only managed its global legal practice, but most of its other corporate functions as well. Through his work in boardrooms, he knows how business decisions are made and which factors matter most.

Massachusetts has suffered for too long at the hands of politicians, locally and nationally, with little active engagement in expanding jobs and the economy. Consider the industry that has grown up around stem cell research. This is a field for which Massachusetts biomedical and life sciences companies are well positioned. This industry has contributed to the improvement of people's lives and has the potential to create jobs. Patrick will make Massachusetts a destination for innovators in the field.

More generally, the future of the Massachusetts economy depends on developing human capital, not just reducing costs. The Massachusetts system of higher education -- among its most precious assets -- is in jeopardy because of the indifference or outright hostility of current leadership. Patrick will give higher education the attention it deserves.

Workplace diversity must be pursued aggressively because it is good business for employers, government, and our economy. Patrick has the experience and commitment to do that.

Having worked as a janitor, lathe operator, and snow-cone vendor, Patrick also knows how important a living wage is. And he appreciates how much we have all benefited from t-he hard-fought gains of the American labor movement.

He understands the importance of creating job pathways for our disadvantaged youth. He knows that lifelong learning and obtaining the right set of skills will matter more than ever for the jobs of the future. That can be done through internships, summer jobs, or volunteer work in your local community. When Patrick speaks to young people, he urges them to get some kind of practical work experience, even if it's unpaid.

The Massachusetts economy has suffered shock waves resulting from mergers and acquisitions. Long-time, major employers such as Hancock, Gillette, Fleet, and Filene's have been bought by out-of-state corporations, and job losses have followed. Patrick understands that a strong private economy is essential to the American Dream. He can get the Massachusetts economy moving again.

This is a man whose life spans the public, private, and nonprofit sectors, and who is ideally suited for the position of governor. On this Labor Day, knowing how important jobs and labor issues are, we enthusiastically support his candidacy and honor his service to workers and their families. Patrick is no ordinary leader.

Robert Reich was secretary of labor in the first Clinton administration. Alexis Herman succeeded Reich in 1997.