Gov. Agencies hosting New York City Summit for Latino and Immigrant Worker Safety

November 12, 2010

The U.S Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) announced today that the agency is co-sponsoring a summit in New York City with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ National Institute for Occupational Safety (NIOSH) to address Latino and Immigrant worker safety hazards and rights.

The agencies will hold The New York City Action Summit for Latino/Immigrant Worker Safety and Health on Tuesday, November 16 from 9am to 4pm at Lehman College’s Lovinger Theater, 250 Bedford Park Boulevard West in Bronx, NY.

Participating in the Summit will be workers, labor groups, community organizations, consulates, educators, safety and health professionals, employers and other partners.

Other participants include representatives from OSHA, NIOSH, U.S. Department of Labor, New York Department of Labor, New York City Comptroller’s Office, Consulate General of Guatemala in New York, Consulate General of Mexico in New York, New York Committee on Occupational Safety and Health, Make the Road New York, El Centro de Hospitalidad, Laborers International Union of North America and the New York State AFL-CIO.

“Our focus will be on strengthening existing efforts and building new partnerships to make Latino workers in the greater New York City area aware of their right to a safe and healthful workplace, provide them with vital information and assistance, and ensure they have a voice in the workplace when it comes to safety and health," said Robert Kulick, OSHA’s regional administrator in New York.

The agencies held a similar Summit in April of this year in Houston, TX.

“Latino workers suffer and die on the job at a greater rate while doing the hardest, most unhealthy, most dangerous jobs,” said Hilda L. Solis, U.S. Secretary of Labor, in an article in the Houston Chronicle entitled A preventable epidemic: Latino deaths on the job.

According to Solis, there are 22.7 million Latino workers, totaling 14.8%, in the U.S. civilian labor force. Latino and immigrant workers are at risk because most are untrained in addressing workplace hazards, face discrimination and language barriers and do not know their legal rights.

Admission is free, but space is limited. Advance registration is required. To register, members of the public should contact Babette Velez at 212-337-2335 or velez.babette@dol.gov.