Alliance -- An OSHA Cooperative Program<< Back to Concluded Regional Alliances - Region VII

  1. Alliance Background

    Date Signed

    1/13/2006

    Overview

    The parties intend, through this Arrangement, to establish a collaborative relationship to provide information, guidance and access to training resources in an effort to help Mexican citizens working in Nebraska to protect their working conditions and labor rights, including their health and safety. The agreement also focuses on a number of goals including:

    Training and education:

    • Develop and deliver training and education programs for Mexican Nationals regarding workers rights to proper minimum wage and overtime compensation, fall hazards, hazards related to construction, meat processing and migrant farming, and to communicate such information to employers and employees in these industries.

    • Deliver or arrange for the delivery of training concerning fall protection, personal protective equipment, ergonomics, minimum wage overtime, and hazard recognition courses.
    Outreach and communication:

    • Develop information on the recognition and prevention of workplace hazards, and to communicate such information (e.g., print and electronic media, including electronic tools and links to OSHA's web site from the Consulate's web site) to employers and employees in the construction, meat processing and migrant farm industries, in English and Spanish.
       
    • Speak, exhibit, or appear at conferences, local meetings, or other mutually agreed upon events, such as the Mobile Consulate meetings scheduled by the Consulate of Mexico in Omaha.
       
    • Share information on personnel issues and industry safety and health.
       
    • Communicate best practices and/or effective approaches.
       
    • Publicize results.
       
    • Make available developed materials, training programs, workshops, seminars, and lectures (or any other applicable forum).
       
    • Work with other participants on specific issues and projects in order to best provide safety and health, workers compensation, minimum wage, and overtime compensation information in English and Spanish.
    Promoting the national dialogue on workplace safety and health:

    • Raise awareness of and demonstrate commitment to workplace safety and health and workers' rights whenever leaders from the Parties address groups.
       
    • Convene or participate in forums, round table discussions, or stakeholder meetings on issues affecting Mexican Nationals to help forge innovative solutions to issues concerning workplace safety and health and proper wage compensation.
    Implementation Team Members

    Mexican Consulate of Omaha

    • Jose Luis Cuevas, Consul of Mexico
    • Ioana Navarrete Pellicer, Vice Consul (former member)
    • Carlos Augusto Bahena A., Department of Protection (former member)
    • Jorge Burrell, Department of Protection
    • Enrique Alcides Lopez Reyes, Community Outreach
    OSHA:

    • Doug Fletcher, CAS
    • Elizabeth Morales, CSHO
    Nebraska Workers Compensation Court:

    • Su Perk Davis, Public Information Manager
    Nebraska Workforce Development, Safety and Labor Law:

    • William Hetzler, Executive Director
    • Jose Santos, Labor Law Specialist
    USDOL – Wage & Hour:

    • Richard Tesarek, District Director
    Evaluation Period

    01/13/06 – 01/13/07

  2. Implementation Team Meetings

    • 02/08/06 - Introductory meeting; outreach planning
    • 02/22/06 - Meeting at Mexican Consulate
    • 06/29/06 - Pre-program planning meeting
    • 09/19/06 - Bi-National Health Week planning meeting
    • 10/23/06 - Post-program review; Health week review; planning
  3. Training and Education

    Training and Education

    Events:

    • 08/06/06 Alliance sponsored train-the-trainer program for Hispanic/latino community leaders and advocacy organizations. Included presentations from all alliance members and open discussion about the issues confronting Mexican Nationals and other immigrants in Nebraska.
    Outreach and Communication

    Events

    • 10/11/06 & 10/12/06 Bi-National Health Week; sponsored by the Mexican Consulate. OSHA representatives gave two presentations on occupational safety and health, as part of this program. The first presentation was provided in Spanish by a bi-lingual compliance officer. The second offering was translated from English to Spanish.

      The OAO provided literature and other materials to the Mexican Consulate for display at their Omaha offices, as well as for the Mobile Consulate activities, held in Lexington, NE. and Fremont, NE.

      A number of Hispanic/Latino community leaders and advocates receive monthly e-mail updates from the Omaha Area Office (~ 16 recipients). This information contains regulatory updates, fatality information, training opportunities, etc.
    Products

    • One-page handouts, providing coverage and contact information for each represented Agency, were developed and distributed at the Community Leader outreach program.
    Promoting the National Dialogue on Workplace Safety and Health

    Events:

    • During OSHA Update presentations at two large, state-wide conferences, OSHA representatives discussed the existence of and objectives for the Alliance: National Safety Council – Greater Omaha Chapter's "Safety Summit" (May 06) and the Nebraska Safety Council Conference & Exposition (April 06).
  4. Results
     
    Type of Activity (Conference, Training, Print and Electronic Distribution, etc.) Number of Individuals Reached or Trained
    Alliance Outreach Program
    Bi-National Health Week presentations (2)    		 15
    25
    Print Distribution (mobile consulates)
    e-Mail Distribution    		 ~150
    16

  5. Upcoming Milestones

    A second Community Leader outreach program is scheduled for May, 2007.

    OSHA will again discuss the Alliance at the NE and Omaha Safety Conferences.

    An OSHA representative serves on the Bi-National Health Week planning committee. The next events are scheduled for October, 2007.