EEOC's  Memphis District Office to Sign Historic Outreach Agreement with Mexican Consulate

Agreement Will Establish an Ongoing Collaborative Relationship Between the Two Entities

MEMPHIS - The Memphis District Office of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) will enter into a Memorandum of Understanding with the Consulate of Mexico for Atlanta on Friday, Sept. 26, the agency announced today. The signing will take place at the EEOC's Nashville Area Office, 250 Athens Way, Suite 350, Nashville, Tenn., at 2:00 p.m. The agreement will establish an ongoing collaborative relationship between these two entities to provide Mexican nationals with information, guidance, and access to education and training resources to help them exercise their workplace rights. Mexican Consul General Ricardo Camara Sánchez and Katharine W. Kores, district director of the EEOC's Memphis District Office, will sign the agreement.

The Mexican Consulate in Atlanta provides services to preserve the rights of Mexican nationals residing in Tennessee as well as other areas in the Southeast. The EEOC's Memphis District Office enforces federal employment discrimination laws and has jurisdiction over Tennessee, Arkansas and 17 counties of North Mississippi.

"This agreement promotes justice and equality in employment and is a key objective of the EEOC Strategic Enforcement Plan, which includes the priority of protecting the rights of immigrants, migrant and other vulnerable workers," said Director Kores. "This agreement solidifies our commitment to continue working with the consulate to protect the rights of Mexican nationals."

Under the terms of the Memorandum of Understanding, the EEOC and the consulate will launch an educational program aimed at making Mexican nationals aware of the laws that prohibit employment discrimination, as well as disseminating compliance and educational materials to the consulate's constituency. The EEOC and the consulate will also conduct two information forums in the first year and set up a system for consular contact with Mexican nationals who have returned to Mexico and are owed monetary compensation that the EEOC has collected from the responsible employers.

The EEOC is responsible for enforcing federal laws prohibiting discrimination in employment. Further information about the agency is available on its website at www.eeoc.gov in both English and Spanish or by calling its toll free number at 1-800-669-4000. The EEOC's toll-free TTY number is 1-800-669-6820.