Referring to specific sections in org-mode latex

You can get what you want with the CUSTOM_ID property

#+TITLE: Musings about Sections
#+AUTHOR: R. Chapter
#+OPTIONS:   H:3 num:t toc:nil \n:nil @:t ::t |:t ^:t -:t f:t *:t <:t
#+OPTIONS:   TeX:t LaTeX:t skip:nil d:nil todo:t pri:nil tags:not-in-toc
#+INFOJS_OPT: view:nil toc:t ltoc:t mouse:underline buttons:0 path:http://orgmode.org/org-info.js
#+LATEX_CLASS: article
#+LATEX_CLASS_OPTIONS: [a4paper,11pt]
* Introduction
In section [[The Use of Sections]], we speak about how sections are used.
In section  [[#background-how]] we briefly introduce the implementation
of sections. In section [[#detail-how]] we go into more detail about
the inner workings of sections.
* Background
** The Use of Sections
** How Sections Work
:PROPERTIES:
:CUSTOM_ID: background-how
:END:
* How Sections Work
:PROPERTIES:
:CUSTOM_ID: detail-how
:END:

Exporting this to latex creates a second label for each section

\documentclass[a4paper,11pt]{article}
\usepackage{hyperref}
\title{Musings about Sections}
\author{R. Chapter}
\date{\today}
\hypersetup{
  pdfkeywords={},
  pdfsubject={},
  pdfcreator={Emacs Org-mode version 7.8.11}}

\begin{document}

\maketitle

\section{Introduction}
\label{sec-1}

In section \hyperref[sec-2-1]{The Use of Sections}, we speak
about how sections are used. In section  \ref{background-how} we
briefly introduce the implementation of sections. In section \ref{detail-how}
we go into more detail about the inner workings of sections.
\section{Background}
\label{sec-2}
\subsection{The Use of Sections}
\label{sec-2-1}
\subsection{How Sections Work}
\label{sec-2-2}
\label{background-how}
\section{How Sections Work}
\label{sec-3}
\label{detail-how}

\end{document}

Other folks reading this might need to

(setq org-export-latex-hyperref-format "\\ref{%s}")