By Peter Mead

Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao, confirmed by unanimous vote in the Senate on January 29, immigrated to the United States from Taiwan as a child, and has earned distinction for her achievements ever since. She received an MBA at Harvard University, worked as a capital markets banker, and has served as a director on the boards of several major corporations. During the previous Bush administration, she worked as a deputy secretary of the Department of Transportation. From there she briefly headed the Peace Corps in 1991, before going to United Way of America in 1992 to help the agency recover from a financial scandal. At the time of her appointment as labor secretary, she was a fellow at the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think-tank. She is married to Senator Mitch McConnell (R-Ky).

Secretary Chao, considering your background, my first question is, what did your parents say on hearing of your confirmation as labor secretary?

They were very pleased and very proud. When I came to this country, I was eight years old and didn't speak a word of English. There were some hard times for my family, but my parents never gave up, never stopped believing in the promise of America.

Long term, will the United States have to rely on immigrant workers as it currently does to sustain high-tech industries? How can the Department of Labor improve its programs to train American workers for high-tech jobs?

We are all immigrants to this country. Immigrants will have a part in building the workforce of the 21st century. For example, there is the need for highly skilled workers and our H-1B temporary worker visas, which allow companies to fill needed high-tech positions. But that is just one way to look at the issue, and we will be looking at many others as we prepare a long-term approach to filling high-tech jobs. Preparing the workforce for the 21st century is my highest priority. The new economy, the Internet economy, presents almost limitless opportunities: thousands of good paying, stimulating jobs with limitless potential for advancement. As one of my first acts, I am creating a new Office of the 21st Century Workforce. It will examine this opportunity, and the challenges we need to overcome to truly take advantage of the amazing changes that are going on around us.

This spring, that office, along with the White House, will convene a summit on the 21st-century workforce where we will call on leaders from business, labor unions, government, and elsewhere to address the structural changes that are affecting our workforce and our economy. We are going to proactively work to equip every American worker to take advantage of the tremendous opportunities the new economy offers. (The summit is June 20 in Washington, D.C.)

In more general terms, how can the Department of Labor help improve skill sets in the American workforce and match the right skills to the right jobs?

This is the challenge of the new economy. In America today, there are thousands -- tens of thousands, perhaps hundreds of thousands -- of high-tech jobs that cannot be filled, while at the same time there are millions of Americans who cannot currently fill them. That is the challenge that this labor department faces. America is the greatest country in the world. We have the best and brightest of minds. The purpose of the Summit on the 21st Century Workforce is to draw national attention and thus the best minds and resources of our country to find solutions. For example, I will work to ensure that President Bush's efforts to reauthorize welfare-to-work are complemented by new one-stop job-training centers administered at the local level, as provided by the new Workforce Investment Act.

Regarding the OSHA ergonomics standard just rejected by Congress: how serious is the problem of workplace musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs), including cumulative trauma problems like carpal tunnel syndrome? Should OSHA issue a revised standard?

I am committed to a comprehensive approach to reducing repetitive-stress injuries, and I am interested in working with all of those interested in this important issue to find effective ways to address it. We need to build on the successes that many employers and employees have already achieved. About half of all U.S. workers are employed by companies that have addressed ergonomics. That includes those who work for companies recognized by OSHA for their exemplary safety and health programs under the Voluntary Protection Programs, a cooperative venture in workplace safety and health. I know that OSHA has been concerned about this problem for 20 years - long before it developed an ergonomics standard. There are a number of resources available to employers on OSHA's Web site, including electronic advisors dealing with common situations that put workers at risk for repetitive-stress injuries. OSHA also offers assistance to small businesses that would like help in addressing safety and health issues, including ergonomics, through the consultation program offered by state authorities in all 50 states.

How could a revised standard be less expensive for employers and easier to follow, and yet still reduce MSDs?

The question is, is a one-size-fits-all approach the most efficient? The answer is almost always no. I believe we can attack this problem in a way that is both more effective and easier for employers. We need to approach laws and regulations using common sense. I can guarantee that that will be our approach with ergonomics, just as it will be with every issue we tackle over the coming years.

What other approaches to reducing MSDs are you considering? Does OSHA already have other vehicles for reducing MSDs, such as cooperative programs with employers?

One thing to remember is that the ergonomics standards in question only went into effect in January. Of course, that doesn't mean OSHA was ignoring repetitive-stress injuries up until a few months ago. We've been working on this problem for more than a decade. During that time, OSHA has and will continue to monitor, regulate, and, if necessary, litigate ergonomics issues as the need arises. As I mentioned, protecting the safety and health of American workers is one of the reasons we're here. That is not going to change, whatever the ultimate outcome of a new ergonomics process.

Do you support the experimental program to fund FMLA birth/adoption leave with unemployment insurance? What criteria will you use in assessing this experiment?

We're not sure yet. We're just starting to examine some of these tough issues as part of the process of formulating policy. Hitching FMLA to unemployment has problems, but it's one approach to work/life balance. Is work/life balance just a myth? Can the Department of Labor actually do something positive in this area? The new economy, I think, will help foster a healthy balance between the home and the workplace. We are only just starting to realize the tremendous benefits of using the Internet to work at home. Employers faced with employee and workspace shortages are coming to realize that the Internet economy is going to allow them and their employees more freedom, more options, than ever before. Imagine what it will mean for a family to eliminate the hour or more commute that keeps parents from seeing their children, spending time with their spouses, and just taking time to read, relax, indulge in a hobby? My family has been so important to me, and I want to do everything possible so that the American workforce not only is the best trained and most productive in the world, but can be so without giving up a life with a family and a home.

Any employer knows it must support diversity in the workplace to succeed. Is that enough to assure a fair workplace, or do we need federal laws protecting homosexuals and lesbians from arbitrary employment practices?

First of all, let me say as I have said before that I am strongly opposed to discrimination of any sort, and I will enforce the law as it is enacted. And as for firms that contract with the federal government, there is and will be strong enforcement of discrimination laws. That will not change.

Is the Americans with Disabilities Act a valuable complement to the Department of Labor and its goals? How do you see that relationship evolving?

We have made amazing progress in opening the workplace to disabled Americans, and we plan to continue doing so. We have a new Office of Disability Employment Policy as well as a new assistant secretary to oversee these issues. Both the president and I would like to go even further. The president has talked about a New Freedom Initiative that will use the technology of the new economy to give disabled Americans even greater access to work opportunities. This is a 10-year, $1 billion multi-departmental effort to enhance the independence, the employment opportunities, and the community involvement for millions of Americans with disabilities. This administration will support loan programs and guarantees that will enable people with disabilities to purchase the technology that they need to be independent and productive. The program will also promote stronger investments in research and development to make assistive technology more widely available. As I said during my confirmation hearing, we must remember what work truly means to most of us: it is not just a way of paying the bills, but also a pathway to gaining respect and human dignity.