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Labor Secretary Tours U.S. Bank Stadium

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- The U.S. Secretary of Labor came to Minneapolis Tuesday to see the new Vikings stadium.

Thomas E. Perez toured U.S. Bank Stadium with Sen. Al Franken, Lt. Gov. Tina Smith and others who built the stadium.

The tour focused on the role apprentices played in the construction.

Nearly 39 percent of the workers were minorities, more than 9 percent were women, and 5 percent were veterans.

"Everybody should have access to opportunity," Perez said. "Apprenticeship is the other college, except without the debt. What we're seeing today -- the enthusiasm and the body language and voice of all the people we had the privilege of meeting who worked on this building -- is remarkable."

The Labor Secretary even tossed the football around with Franken on the field.

Perez was also slated to stop Tuesday in Vadnais Heights to learn about the MGC Diagnostics workforce-training partnership.

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