ANNUAL ALLIANCE REPORT
U.S. Department of Labor
Occupational Safety and Health Administration
Houston North Area Office
And
Houston South Area Office
And the
The Consulate of Mexico in Houston
September 26, 2016

1. Alliance Background

   1. Date Signed

      August 31, 2015

   2. Evaluation Period

      August 31, 2015 to August 31, 2016

   3. Alliance Overview

      The Alliance was formed to establish a collaborative relationship between the Consulate of Mexico in Houston, OSHA Houston North Area Office (HNAO), and the OSHA Houston South Area Office (HSAO) to promote safety, health and environmental and inform workers in the Hispanic community of their workplace rights in the Houston area.

   4. Implementation Team Members

      OSHA

      Joann Figueroa

      Area Director, OSHA, Houston North Area Office

      Mark Briggs

      Area Director, OSHA, Houston South Area Office

      Jim Shelton

      Compliance Assistance Specialist, OSHA, Houston North Area Office

      The Consulate of Mexico in Houston

      Jesús Loera

      Mexican Consulate Houston

2. Implementation Team Meetings

   Alliance members meet regularly after bi-monthly meetings to plan upcoming meetings and activities. The Alliance participants work with the Justice and Equality group to plan outreach activities and participate in Labor Rights Week.

3. Activities, Events and Products

   Training and Education

   • Compliance Assistance Specialist (CAS) Shelton provides OSHA update information during the bi-monthly Justice and Equality meetings.
   • OSHA information such as Spanish language safety training information in the Houston area, heat, and OSHA Zika virus information is forwarded to the Mexican Consulate.
   • During Labor Rights Week OSHA, the Consulate of Mexico in Houston, and other Department of Labor agencies and worker organizations conducted educational sessions at various locations and activities, such as the following: Mexican Consulate; Interfaith Worker Justice Center; YMCA International; Univision phone bank; Conroe Day Labor Worker Center; Consulate of El Salvador; and the Consulate of Guatemala.

   Outreach and Communication

   • CAS Shelton distributed worker rights information through the Mexican Consulate and other groups. A flyer on worker rights was developed with local contact information for distribution to workers

   Promoting the National Dialogue on Workplace Safety and Health

   • The Mexican Consulate has been successful in maintaining the Justice and Equality group and facilitating OSHA outreach to the Hispanic community.
   • The Consulate of Mexican in Houston participates in the Annual Worker Memorial Vigil which is held each year.

4. Results

   • The Alliance between the Consulate of Mexico in Houston and OSHA has allowed worker rights information to be distributed to several thousand Hispanic workers in the Greater Houston Area.
   • The Alliance and Justice and Equality group provides periodic meetings to discuss worker rights with various organizations that work in the Hispanic community.

5. Upcoming Milestones

   • Plans for the upcoming year include building attendance and looking at ways to reach Hispanic workers and small contractors in the construction industry.