October 13, 2021       US Department of Labor, Mexican Consulate in Boston enter alliance to promote workplace safety, health among New England’s workersProtection for workers in Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont

(L-R) Jeffrey Erskine, Acting Regional Administrator, OSHA Region 1, and Alberto Fierro, Consul General, Consulate General of Mexico in Boston, display the alliance.

BOSTON – The U.S. Department of Labor and the Consulate General of Mexico in Boston have signed an alliance to provide hazard prevention training and training on employees’ workplace safety and health rights to Mexican nationals and others working in New England. It will also educate them on how the Occupational Safety and Health Act and other U.S. laws protect their rights and hold employers responsible. The alliance covers workers in Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont.

Over the next two years, the department’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration and the consulate will develop and deliver information on recognizing and preventing workplace hazards to Mexican workers through public exhibits; speaking opportunities and appearances at conferences and local meetings; and participation in “Mobile Consulate” activities and events.

“Knowledge is an essential tool for workers. It protects them from workplace hazards and ensures they understand their rights. Our alliance with the Consulate General of Mexico establishes an ongoing process to provide that information to New England’s workers and employers,” said OSHA Acting Regional Administrator Jeffrey Erskine in Boston. “This effort also signals our commitment to making safety a priority in the lives of Mexican nationals and others working in Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont.”

A team of OSHA and Mexican Consulate representatives will develop a plan of action, determine working procedures, and identify participants’ roles and responsibilities. They will also meet at least three times per year to track and share information on progress toward achieving the alliance’s goals.

OSHA’s Alliance Program works with groups committed to worker safety and health to prevent workplace fatalities, injuries and illnesses. These groups include unions, consulates, trade or professional organizations, businesses, faith- and community-based organizations, and educational institutions. OSHA and the groups work together to develop compliance assistance tools and resources, share information with workers and employers, and educate workers and employers about their rights and responsibilities.

Learn more about OSHA.

Read the release in Español.

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Media Contacts:

Ted Fitzgerald, 617-565-2075, fitzgerald.edmund@dol.govJames C. Lally, 617-565-2074, lally.james.c@dol.gov

Release Number:  21-1753-BOS

U.S. Department of Labor news materials are accessible at http://www.dol.gov. The department’s Reasonable Accommodation Resource Center converts departmental information and documents into alternative formats, which include Braille and large print. For alternative format requests, please contact the department at (202) 693-7828 (voice) or (800) 877-8339 (federal relay).

October 13, 2021US Department of Labor sues Austin luxury car dealer that retaliatedagainst employee who raised concerns of coronavirus hazardsHi Tech Motorcars LLC terminated employee for warning managers, coworkers

AUSTIN, TX – The U.S. Department of Labor has filed suit against an Austin luxury car dealer for terminating an employee who warned managers and other co-workers about potential coronavirus hazards in the workplace.

The action follows an investigation by the department’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration that found Hi Tech Motorcars LLC, Hi Tech Imports LLC and Hi Tech Luxury Imports LLC violated the Occupational Safety and Health Act when it retaliated against the worker in December 2020.

After learning a co-worker had tested positive for coronavirus, the employee requested that management notify other employees immediately of their risk of exposure. When management did not take action, the employee sent an email to all company employees about the potential hazards. Less than an hour later, the employer terminated the employee.

OSHA found the employee exercised their legal rights under section 11(c) of the OSH Act, and that the termination was illegal. In its filing in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas, Austin Division, the department seeks reinstatement, lost wages and benefits resulting from the termination, reimbursement for costs and expenses, compensatory damages, and exemplary or punitive damages.

“No worker should ever fear losing their job for raising workplace safety and health concerns,” said OSHA Regional Administrator Eric S. Harbin in Dallas. “OSHA’s investigation and U.S. Department of Labor’s action in this case show we will enforce these protections vigorously.”

“This employee acted out of real concern for their safety and that of their coworkers, and their actions are protected under federal law,” said Regional Solicitor of Labor John Rainwater in Dallas. “The law also protects whistleblowers from retaliation by their employer and holds employers accountable when they do.”

OSHA’s Whistleblower Protection Program enforces the whistleblower provisions of 25 whistleblower statutes protecting employees from retaliation for reporting violations of various workplace safety and health, airline, commercial motor carrier, consumer product, environmental, financial reform, food safety, health insurance reform, motor vehicle safety, nuclear, pipeline, public transportation agency, railroad, maritime, securities, tax, criminal antitrust, and anti-money laundering laws. For more information on whistleblower protections, visit OSHA’s Whistleblower Protection Programs webpage.

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Editor’s note: The U.S. Department of Labor does not release the names of employees involved in whistleblower complaints.

Media Contacts:

Chauntra Rideaux, 972-850-4710, rideaux.chauntra.d@dol.govJuan J. Rodríguez, 972-850-4709, rodriguez.juan@dol.gov

Release Number: 21-1842-DAL

U.S. Department of Labor news materials are accessible at http://www.dol.gov. The department’s Reasonable Accommodation Resource Center converts departmental information and documents into alternative formats, which include Braille and large print. For alternative format requests, please contact the department at (202) 693-7828 (voice) or (800) 877-8339 (federal relay).