Nebraska Appleseed, OSHA establish alliance to educate immigrant workers on workplace safety and health

Participants: Pictured from left: Bonita Winingham, U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration area director in Omaha; Darcy Tromanhauser, director, Immigrants & Communities Program; and Gloria Sarmiento, Educator/Organizer Immigrants and Communities for the Nebraska Appleseed Center for Law in the Public Interest.

Description: The education alliance will provide Nebraska Appleseed staff, immigrant workers and others with information, guidance, and access to training resources. The goal of the alliance is to protect the health and safety of workers and promote understanding of workers' rights and the responsibilities of employers under the Occupational Safety and Health Act.

Background: Nebraska Appleseed is a non-profit organization that fights for justice and opportunity for all Nebraskans. The organization takes a systemic approach to complex issues – such as workers' rights, immigration policy, child welfare, affordable healthcare and poverty. Nebraska Appleseed believes that every Nebraskan deserves an opportunity to pursue the American Dream.

As part of the voluntary alliance, Nebraska Appleseed and OSHA intend to work together to develop effective training and education programs, exhibits and participate in speaking engagements for the Nebraska Appleseed staff, immigrant workers and others to promote understanding of workers' rights, including the use of the OSHA complaint process, and the responsibilities of employers and to communicate such information to workers and employers. Safety and health training will also be provided in Spanish when the need arises.

Through its Alliance Program, OSHA works with unions, consulates, trade and professional organizations, faith- and community-based organizations, businesses and educational institutions to prevent workplace fatalities, injuries and illnesses. The purpose of each alliance is to develop compliance assistance tools and resources and to educate workers and employers about their rights and responsibilities. Alliance Program participants do not receive exemptions from OSHA inspections. For more information, visit http://www.osha.gov/dcsp/alliances/index.html.

Duration: The two-year agreement was signed on Feb. 10, 2015.

Quote: "This alliance reflects a commitment to the safety of all employees including immigrant workers. We must keep in mind that no job is a good job unless it's a safe job," said Bonita Winingham, OSHA's area director in Omaha.