http://www.hispanictips.com Hispanic & Latino News Redefined - Empowering & Engaging Wed, 15 Feb 2012 16:13:24 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 http://www.hispanictips.com/2011/06/16/secretary-of-labor-hilda-l-solis-and-ambassadors-of-guatemala-and-nicaragua-sign-declarations-protecting-migrant-workers-rights/ http://www.hispanictips.com/2011/06/16/secretary-of-labor-hilda-l-solis-and-ambassadors-of-guatemala-and-nicaragua-sign-declarations-protecting-migrant-workers-rights/#comments Thu, 16 Jun 2011 19:45:56 +0000 Tomas http://www.hispanictips.com/?p=136049
"Individuals from Guatemala and Nicaragua make important contributions to the U.S. economy, and their workplace rights should be protected," said Secretary Solis. "I am pleased that the U.S., Guatemalan and Nicaraguan governments are working together to help make that happen."

The declarations will enable the regional enforcement offices of the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration and Wage and Hour Division to cooperate with local Guatemalan and Nicaraguan embassies and consulates to distribute information to migrant workers about U.S. health, safety and wage laws. Training also will be provided to both migrant workers and their employers.

In conjunction with the declarations, letters of agreement were signed by the two agencies. The Wage and Hour Division will be able to protect migrant workers in low-wage industries such as hospitality and agriculture. OSHA will continue efforts to improve workplace safety and health conditions while simultaneously providing outreach and assistance to Spanish-speaking workers and employers.

Additionally, through these agencies, the Labor Department will be better able to identify problems experienced by migrant workers and to target labor law enforcement efforts. OSHA, for example, will provide a toll-free telephone number staffed by multilingual operators who are ready, day and night, to receive calls from migrant workers about safety and health issues.

More information about the agreements and department programs that protect migrant workers is available at http://www.dol.gov/ilab.

Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, employers are responsible for providing safe and healthful workplaces for their employees. OSHA's role is to ensure these conditions for America's working men and women by setting and enforcing standards, and providing training, education and assistance. For more information, visit http://www.osha.gov.

The Wage and Hour Division enforces federal minimum wage, overtime pay, record keeping and child labor requirements of the Fair Labor Standards Act, as well as the Migrant and Seasonal Agricultural Worker Protection Act and other federal labor laws. More information is available at http://www.dol.gov/whd.

Connect with DOL at
http://social.dol.gov
http://twitter.com/usdol
http://www.facebook.com/departmentoflabor
http://www.youtube.com/usdepartmentoflabor
http://social.dol.gov/blog/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/52862363@N07/

U.S. Department of Labor news materials are accessible at http://www.dol.gov. The information above is available in large print, Braille, audio tape or disc from the COAST office upon request by calling 202-693-7828 or TTY 202-693-7755.Curated by HispanicTips :: Hispanic & Latino Redefined. Empower Yourself!]]> http://www.hispanictips.com/2011/06/16/secretary-of-labor-hilda-l-solis-and-ambassadors-of-guatemala-and-nicaragua-sign-declarations-protecting-migrant-workers-rights/feed/ 0 http://www.hispanictips.com/2011/05/25/creating-a-safe-work-environment-for-hispanic-employees/ http://www.hispanictips.com/2011/05/25/creating-a-safe-work-environment-for-hispanic-employees/#comments Wed, 25 May 2011 16:29:09 +0000 TomasC http://www.hispanictips.com/?p=131531 Tomás @ HispanicTips from workforcelanguageservices.com
Hispanic & Latino News Redefined. Empower Yourself!]]> http://www.hispanictips.com/2011/05/25/creating-a-safe-work-environment-for-hispanic-employees/feed/ 0 http://www.hispanictips.com/2011/01/06/helping-america-to-protect-spanish-speaking-construction-workers/ http://www.hispanictips.com/2011/01/06/helping-america-to-protect-spanish-speaking-construction-workers/#comments Thu, 06 Jan 2011 17:04:29 +0000 Tomas http://www.hispanictips.com/?p=113066 HispanicTips :: Hispanic & Latino Redefined. Empower Yourself!]]> http://www.hispanictips.com/2011/01/06/helping-america-to-protect-spanish-speaking-construction-workers/feed/ 0 http://www.hispanictips.com/2010/04/21/osha-mexican-consulate-sign-agreement-to-protect-latino-workers/ http://www.hispanictips.com/2010/04/21/osha-mexican-consulate-sign-agreement-to-protect-latino-workers/#comments Wed, 21 Apr 2010 18:13:00 +0000 Tomas http://www.hispanictips.com/?p=82813 HispanicTips :: Hispanic & Latino News & Information]]> http://www.hispanictips.com/2010/04/21/osha-mexican-consulate-sign-agreement-to-protect-latino-workers/feed/ 0 http://www.hispanictips.com/2010/04/19/secretary-of-labor-hilda-l-solis-convenes-1st-ever-national-action-summit-on-health-and-safety-of-latino-workers/ http://www.hispanictips.com/2010/04/19/secretary-of-labor-hilda-l-solis-convenes-1st-ever-national-action-summit-on-health-and-safety-of-latino-workers/#comments Mon, 19 Apr 2010 17:56:25 +0000 Tomas http://www.hispanictips.com/?p=82424 Each year, thousands of workers in the U.S. are injured or killed on the job as a result of preventable incidents, and Latino workers are killed and suffer work-related injuries at higher rates than all other workers. It is with these tragic statistics in mind that U.S. Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis today convened an historic National Action Summit for Latino Worker Health and Safety.

The two-day event, which is being held in Houston, is co-sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, in partnership with the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. It brings together workers and representatives from employer associations, labor unions, the faith community, community organizations, the medical community, safety and health professionals, educators, government officials, consulates, the entertainment community and other, non-traditional partners.

"Our focus at this summit is ensuring that all workers understand they have a right to a safe workplace, that they know what hazards they might face on the job, and that they have a clear sense of how a safe workplace is supposed to look," said Secretary Solis during her keynote address at the summit. "Workers have a right to talk to their employers about unsafe conditions and, if necessary, to call OSHA. They have a right to get safety equipment that is required by law and paid for by the employer. They have a right to be trained in a language and in a way they understand. Workers need to know how to use these rights without fear of retaliation. And finally, every worker needs to know that he or she has the right to come home alive at the end of the day."

The summit includes panelists and participants from a variety of groups including Casa Latina in Seattle, Wash.; Tenants and Workers United in Alexandria, Va., The Hispanic Westchester Coalition in White Plains, N.Y., Union Latina de Chicago in Chicago, Ill.; VOZ in Portland, Ore.; Wind of the Spirit in Morristown, N.J.; Workers Defense Project in Austin, Texas; Centro Humanitario Para Los Trabajadores in Denver, Colo.; and Central American Resource Center in Los Angeles, Calif., among many others.

Workshops include: Innovative Partnerships and Effective Education for Latino Workers, The Role of Clinics and Public Health Departments, On-the-Job Programs that Work, Workers' Rights under OSHA and DOL, Assistance for Small Businesses, Funding Worker Safety and Health Education for Latino Workers, and more. A complete agenda in English and Spanish is available at http://www.osha.gov/latinosummit/index.html.

"Far too many Latino workers have needlessly lost their lives just trying to earn a living, and it must stop," said Assistant Secretary of Labor for OSHA Dr. David Michaels. "This summit will shine a spotlight on the hazards and challenges faced by this vulnerable sector of the nation's workforce so we can begin crafting new, badly needed strategies to prevent thousands of injuries and deaths every year."

Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, employers are responsible for providing safe and healthful workplaces for their employees. OSHA's role is to assure these conditions for America's working men and women by setting and enforcing standards, and providing training, education and assistance. For more information, visit http://www.osha.gov.

* Read this news release en Español.

Aggregated by HispanicTips :: Hispanic & Latino News & Information]]> http://www.hispanictips.com/2010/04/19/secretary-of-labor-hilda-l-solis-convenes-1st-ever-national-action-summit-on-health-and-safety-of-latino-workers/feed/ 0 http://www.hispanictips.com/2010/03/19/us-secretary-of-labor-to-convene-national-action-summit-on-latino-worker-safety-and-health-in-houston/ http://www.hispanictips.com/2010/03/19/us-secretary-of-labor-to-convene-national-action-summit-on-latino-worker-safety-and-health-in-houston/#comments Fri, 19 Mar 2010 14:30:20 +0000 Tomas http://www.hispanictips.com/?p=79205 Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis will convene a National Action Summit for Latino Worker Health and Safety on April 14 and 15 in Houston, Texas.

The summit, co-sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, will bring together more than 500 people, including workers and representatives from unions, employer associations, community organizations, day labor centers, the interfaith community, the academic community, Latino organizations, health professionals, medical clinics, consulates, federal and state agencies, and others with the goal of reducing injuries and illness among Latino workers by enhancing their knowledge of their rights and their ability to exercise those rights.

WHO: U.S. Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis will deliver the keynote address.

WHAT: The summit will focus on the construction and other high-risk industries with large numbers of Latino workers. It will showcase innovative partnerships, demonstrate successful education and training strategies, and develop effective enforcement and communication strategies.

WHERE: Hilton Americas Hotel

1600 Lamar St.

Houston, Texas

WHEN: Wednesday, April 14 (beginning at 1 p.m. CDT)

Thursday, April 15 (beginning at 8:45 a.m. CDT)

For information on the conference workshops, visit https://www.osha.gov/latinosummit/index.html.

Reporters interested in covering the summit are requested to contact Diana Petterson at 202-693-1898 or petterson.diana@dol.gov.

Note: In addition to the National Action Summit on Latino Worker Safety and Health, a "We Can Help" safety and worker rights fair will be held on Saturday, April 17, at the George R. Brown Convention Center (Hall A) in Houston from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. CDT. The fair is co-sponsored by OSHA and the Labor Department's Wage and Hour Division. It will provide free information on worker rights and resources, games for children, family safety training, and health and medical services. Aggregated by HispanicTips :: Hispanic & Latino News & Information]]> http://www.hispanictips.com/2010/03/19/us-secretary-of-labor-to-convene-national-action-summit-on-latino-worker-safety-and-health-in-houston/feed/ 0 http://www.hispanictips.com/2009/06/08/us-department-of-labor-secretary-solis-to-address-american-society-of-safety-engineers-san-antonio-conference-attendees-june-29/ http://www.hispanictips.com/2009/06/08/us-department-of-labor-secretary-solis-to-address-american-society-of-safety-engineers-san-antonio-conference-attendees-june-29/#comments Mon, 08 Jun 2009 20:48:51 +0000 Tomas http://www.hispanictips.com/?p=53936 "U.S. Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis will address thousands of attendees from around the globe at the June 28-July 1, 2009, American Society of Safety Engineers (www.asse.org/newsroom)' (ASSE) Professional Development Conference (PDC) and Exposition in San Antonio. Secretary Solis will address the crowd in a General Session presentation to be held the morning of June 29 in the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center.

"This is an honor to have Secretary Solis address our members at this time," ASSE President Warren K. Brown, CSP, ARM, CSHM, said today. "She is committed, like safety and health professionals, to making sure that everyone who goes to work is provided a safe and healthy workplace. Our members work day in and day out preventing injuries and illnesses in the workplace worldwide."

Secretary Solis was confirmed as Secretary of Labor on February 24, 2009. Prior to her confirmation, Secretary Solis represented the 32nd Congressional District in California, a position she held from 2001 - 2009. In Congress, Solis' priorities included expanding access to affordable health care, protecting the environment, and improving the lives of working families. A recognized leader on clean energy jobs, she authored the Green Jobs Act which provided funding for "green" collar job training for veterans, displaced workers, at risk youth, and individuals in families under 200 percent of the federal poverty line.

In 2007, Solis was appointed to the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe (the Helsinki Commission), as well as on the Mexico/U.S. Interparliamentary Group. In June 2007, Secretary Solis was elected Vice Chair of the Helsinki Commission's General Committee on Democracy, Human Rights and Humanitarian Questions, the only U.S. elected official to serve on this Committee.

A nationally recognized leader on the environment, Solis was the first woman to receive the John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award in 2000 for her work on environmental justice issues. Her California environmental justice legislation, enacted in 1999, was the first of its kind in the nation to become law.

Solis was first elected to public office in 1985 as a member of the Rio Hondo Community College Board of Trustees. She served in the California State Assembly from 1992 to 1994, and in 1994 made history by becoming the first Latina elected to the California State Senate. As the chairwoman of the California Senate Industrial Relations Committee, she led the efforts to increase the state's minimum wage from $4.25 to $5.75 an hour in 1996. She also authored a record 17 state laws aimed at combating domestic violence.

Solis graduated from California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, California, and earned a Master of Public Administration from the University of Southern California. A former federal employee, she worked in the Carter White House Office of Hispanic Affairs and was later appointed as a management analyst with the Office of Management and Budget in the Civil Rights Division.

The 98-year-old ASSE is the oldest and largest safety society with more than 32,000 occupational safety, health and environmental professional members located worldwide. ASSE is committed to protecting people, property and the environment. The ASSE PDC features 225 educational sessions featuring cutting edge issues along with the largest occupational safety, health and environmental Exposition in the U.S. The expo features 400 companies including 70 new exhibitors introducing new products.

Other key presentations will be made by Economist and Fox News Business Journalist Stuart Varney and Former Yahoo! Chief Solutions Officer Tim Sanders. Varney will address the state of global business and the economy and Sanders will discuss corporate social responsibility and green business practices. U.S. Acting Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health (OSHA) Jordan Barab will participate in a special Plenary Session. The last day of the conference will also feature an Executive Summit with corporate executives sharing their insights with attendees. A conference luncheon featuring Chip Eichelberger, a business motivational speaker and certified speaking professional, will discuss what safety and health professional need to know to promote their programs, themselves and the importance of safety in their organizations, will be offered. Key issue roundtables which provide individual attendees an opportunity to discuss issues and experiences will also be held during the PDC.

Founded in 1911, the Des Plaines, IL-based ASSE's members lead, manage, supervise, research and consult on safety, health, transportation and environmental issues in all industries, government, labor, health care and education. For more information on the speakers, sessions, schedule and to register please visit www.asse.org.

Contact: Diane Hurns, 847-768-3413, Dhurns (at) asse (dot) org" HispanicTips is Essential Hispanic & Latino News & Information
A Community Enhancer :: Relevant, Comprehensive, Useful & Trusted
My readers say it best: "love it," "addictive,""useful," "great," & "invaluable." - View quotes & testimonials]]> http://www.hispanictips.com/2009/06/08/us-department-of-labor-secretary-solis-to-address-american-society-of-safety-engineers-san-antonio-conference-attendees-june-29/feed/ 0 http://www.hispanictips.com/2008/12/10/attention-needed-to-prevent-hispanic-worker-deaths-hispanic-workers-may-be-at-higher-risk-for-work-related-death-than-other-us-workers-a-university-of-iowa-trauma-investigator-warns-iowa-has-m/ http://www.hispanictips.com/2008/12/10/attention-needed-to-prevent-hispanic-worker-deaths-hispanic-workers-may-be-at-higher-risk-for-work-related-death-than-other-us-workers-a-university-of-iowa-trauma-investigator-warns-iowa-has-m/#comments Wed, 10 Dec 2008 17:15:14 +0000 Tomas http://www.hispanictips.com/?p=48332 "Hispanic workers may be at higher risk for work-related death than other U.S. workers, a University of Iowa trauma investigator warns.

"Iowa has many Hispanic workers, and they are doing jobs in industries like those highlighted in a recent national report," said Murray Madsen, chief investigator Iowa Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation ( IA FACE ) at the University of Iowa.

The report, compiled by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC ) and published in the Dec. 3, 2008 issue of Journal of the American Medical Association ( JAMA ), indicated Hispanics are among the fastest-growing segments of the U.S. workforce. Between 1992 and 2006, a total of 11,303 Hispanic workers died from work-related injuries, and the death rate for Hispanic workers during that time was consistently higher than the rate for all U.S. workers. The proportion of deaths among foreign-born Hispanic workers increased over time, according to report. The full report is available at http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/full/300/21/2479.

The IA FACE program, which keeps a record of work-related fatalities in the state, shows an increase in deaths among Hispanic workers in recent years. There were 14 Hispanic workers who died at work in Iowa from 2003 through 2006, Madsen said. In 2007, there were four and to date in 2008 there have been at least six, he said.

"That's more than any year since 2004," Madsen said.

In the JAMA report, highway incidents were the most common fatal event from 1997-2006, with the exception of 2000 and 2006 when falls to a lower level were most common among Hispanic workers. During 2003-2006, the most common industry for these events was construction followed by waste services and agriculture as a close third.

The study states that much of the increased risk for Hispanic workers is likely due to high-risk jobs. Previous investigations have suggested several characteristics that contribute to higher numbers of deaths among Hispanic workers, including lack of experience, inadequate knowledge and control of recognized safety hazards, and inadequate training and supervision of Hispanic workers, often exacerbated by different languages and literacy levels of workers.

"Preventing work-related deaths among Hispanic workers deserves attention by employers," Madsen said. "Employers may need more and better culturally appropriate and effective resources to do so."

Workers, their communities and organizations are also identified in the CDC study as important contributors to help identify and prevent occupational safety and health issues. Two Web resources include: http://www.cdc.gov/nasd/menu/other_languages/other_languages.html and http://www.osha.gov/dcsp/compliance_assistance/index_hispanic.html.

Iowa's worker deaths are recorded on the IA FACE Web site at http://www.public-health.uiowa.edu/FACE?Summaries/index.html.

IA FACE is one of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health's nine state-based programs designed to conduct surveillance, targeted investigations and prevention activities on all occupational fatalities.

STORY SOURCE: University of Iowa College of Public Health Office of Communications and External Relations, 4257 Westlawn, Iowa City, Iowa, 52242

MEDIA CONTACTS: Murray Madsen, Iowa Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation, murray-madsen@uiowa.edu, 319-335-4481; Debra Venzke, UI College of Public Health Office of Communications and External Relations, 319-335-9647, debra-venzke@uiowa.edu" HispanicTips is Essential Hispanic & Latino News & Information
A Community Enhancer :: Relevant, Comprehensive, Useful & Trusted
My readers say it best: "love it," "addictive,""useful," "great," & "invaluable." - View quotes & testimonials]]> http://www.hispanictips.com/2008/12/10/attention-needed-to-prevent-hispanic-worker-deaths-hispanic-workers-may-be-at-higher-risk-for-work-related-death-than-other-us-workers-a-university-of-iowa-trauma-investigator-warns-iowa-has-m/feed/ 0 http://www.hispanictips.com/2008/06/09/more-hispanics-die-on-job-than-other-us-workers-study-finds-rate-of-work-related-deaths-overall-has-dropped-since-92/ http://www.hispanictips.com/2008/06/09/more-hispanics-die-on-job-than-other-us-workers-study-finds-rate-of-work-related-deaths-overall-has-dropped-since-92/#comments Mon, 09 Jun 2008 13:22:49 +0000 Tomas http://www.hispanictips.com/2008/06/09/more-hispanics-die-on-job-than-other-us-workers-study-finds-rate-of-work-related-deaths-overall-has-dropped-since-92/ "More Hispanics die on the job than other U.S. workers, and the rate is highest among the foreign-born, according to a federal study released Thursday.

Construction industry work accounted for a third of the Hispanic deaths, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported after reviewing more than 11,000 Hispanic work-related deaths between 1992 and 2006. About 95 percent were men.

According to Dr. Sherry Baron, who studies health disparities for the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, the figures aren't surprising." HispanicTips.com - A Blogante News Service For, From & About Hispanics & Latinos]]> http://www.hispanictips.com/2008/06/09/more-hispanics-die-on-job-than-other-us-workers-study-finds-rate-of-work-related-deaths-overall-has-dropped-since-92/feed/ 0 http://www.hispanictips.com/2007/10/18/construction-becomes-more-deadly/ http://www.hispanictips.com/2007/10/18/construction-becomes-more-deadly/#comments Fri, 19 Oct 2007 02:05:47 +0000 Tomas http://www.hispanictips.com/2007/10/18/construction-becomes-more-deadly/ "Oscar Paredes, executive director of the Latin American Workers Project, said outreach and training by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and city agencies are ineffective because of the language barrier.

"The city government doesn't have a lot of people who speak the language or that can offer the appropriate training," he said.

Moreover, Paredes said some workers ignore safety precautions, sometimes because they are apathetic, sometimes because they are afraid to lose their job if they refuse to perform a dangerous task, such as scaling heights with no harnesses or guardrails." For text, source & machine translated source please click on the permalink above.
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