ANNUAL ALLIANCE REPORT
U.S. Department of Labor
Occupational Safety and Health Administration
Houston North Area Office
And
Houston South Area Office
And
The Consulate of Mexico in Houston
August 28, 2018

1. Alliance Background

   1. Date Signed

      August 28, 2017

   2. Evaluation Period

      August 28, 2017 to August 28, 2018

   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 is forwarded to the Mexican Consulate. During the 2017 Houston flood the Houston North Area Office provided flood related safety and clean-up information for distribution at the Consulate and during mobile Consulate events.
   • Due to the flooding in Houston, Labor Rights Week was canceled. The Houston North Area Office participated in work groups and distributed information to and through the Mexican Consulate on flood related hazards.
   • During the 2018 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; 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 hundreds of 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.