ARRANGEMENT ESTABLISHING AN ALLIANCE
BETWEEN
THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR’S
OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION,
ILLINOIS AND WISCONSIN AREA OFFICES
AND
THE CONSULATE GENERAL OF MEXICO IN CHICAGO, ILLINOIS

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), Illinois and Wisconsin Area Offices, and the Consulate General of Mexico in Chicago, Illinois, hereinafter referred to collectively as “the Participants”;

Recognizing the joint commitment to protecting workers’ rights for Mexican workers acknowledged in the U.S. - Mexico Joint Declaration between the Department of Labor of the United States of America and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the United Mexican States, signed at Washington, D.C., on May 4, 2010; and

Recognizing that OSHA’s Alliance Program provides for the establishment of cooperative relationships for purposes such as training and education, outreach and communication, and promoting a national dialogue on workplace health and safety;

Intend to form an Alliance to achieve the following:

Overall Objective

The Participants intend to establish a collaborative relationship to provide Mexican Nationals in Illinois and Wisconsin with information, guidance, and access to education and training resources to promote workers’ rights in protecting their occupational health and safety, particularly with regards to reducing and preventing exposure to safety hazards and/or addressing health issues, and to help them understand the rights of workers and the responsibilities of employers under the Occupational Safety and Health Act.

Training and Education

The Participants intend to work together to achieve the following training and education goals

• To develop training and education programs for Mexican Nationals in Illinois and Wisconsin regarding safety and health issues in general industry and construction, including unguarded or inadequately guarded machinery, the unexpected energization of machinery during maintenance, exposure to hazardous chemicals, and falls from elevated work surfaces, and to communicate such information to constituent employers and workers.
   
• To deliver or arrange for the delivery of safety and health courses.
   
• To develop workplace safety and health curricula on hazards faced by Mexican Nationals in Illinois and Wisconsin.

Outreach and Communication

The Participants intend to work together to achieve the following outreach and communication goals:

• To develop information on the recognition and prevention of workplace hazards, and to develop ways of communicating such information (e.g., print and electronic media, electronic assistance tools, and links to OSHA’s Web site from the Consulate’s Web site) to Mexican Nationals in Illinois and Wisconsin and their employers.
   
• To speak, exhibit, or appear at OSHA’s or the Consulate’s conferences, local meetings, or other events, such as Labor Week, Health Week, and Labor Window.

Promotion of a National Dialogue

The Participants intend to work together to achieve the following goals related to promoting a national dialogue on workplace health and safety:

• To raise awareness of and demonstrate commitment to workplace safety and health and workers’ rights whenever leaders from the Participants address groups.
   
• To convene or participate in forums, roundtable discussions, or stakeholder meetings on labor rights and working conditions to help forge innovative solutions on issues concerning workplace health and safety and understanding of workers’ rights and responsibilities of employers.

An implementation team made up of representatives of each Participant intends to meet to develop a plan of action, determine working procedures, and identify the roles and responsibilities of the Participants. In addition, the Participants intend to meet at least three times per year to track and share information on activities and results in achieving the goals of the Alliance.

This Arrangement is intended to cease two years from the date of signing. A Participant should endeavor to provide 30 days advance written notice of its intent to discontinue its participation in this Arrangement. This Arrangement may be modified in writing at any time by mutual consent of the Participants.

Signed at Chicago, Illinois, in duplicate, this 11th day of May, 2010, in the English and Spanish languages.