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The Cutting Edge™ - September 2004

Workplace Tools

Tools to Help Manage the Hispanic Workforce
By Tim Longwell, D.J. Case & Associates, tim@djcase.com

Tools now available at www.na.fs.fed.us/wihispanic

The wood products industry, like many labor-intensive industries, has increasingly turned to hiring Hispanic workers to maintain a competitive edge. Recently, numerous wood product industry associations decided to collectively address the challenges that their members were facing with their Hispanic workforce.

An intensive assessment was completed to identify the needs for companies in the wood products industry and their Hispanic workers. Based upon these results the following products were developed:

- Working with Hispanicsis a guide to help supervisors and managers understand how cultural differences can affect the workplace.
- El Pequena Gui'a para el Inmigrante Hispano (A Small Guide for the Hispanic Immigrant) is a nationally recognized booklet written as an informational resource explaining the American culture and workplace to the Hispanic woodworker.
- The Employee Handbook Template allows companies to develop a customized employee handbook including their company name, contact persons, State (labor laws vary by state) and specific information on times of work, worker obligations, rights and responsibilities. The handbook can be downloaded in English and/or Spanish.
- A Survival Spanish/English Wood Products Terminology Glossary has over 1400 terms and phrases that can be printed out to aid in communication or "clicked on" to hear pronunciation.
- Company Orientation and Employee Motivation helps supervisors understand the importance of the orientation process and worker productivity. This resource also provides insight into what can motivate employees to perform optimally.
- Achieving Quality Through Teamwork helps builds a team mentality that can increase productivity and product quality.
- A comprehensive list of Related Links provides additional information and resources on these subjects.

The following Industry Associations provided invaluable initiative, direction, guidance, and participation: IHLA, WMMA, AHMI, AWI, AWFS, KCMA, WCMA, WPMA and many others.

These FREE resources can be accessed at www.na.fs.fed.us/wihispanic thanks to funding from the USDA Forest Service, Wood Education Resource Center (WERC).

Table of Contents
Making Sense of it All
October is Manufacturing Month
Conference - Manufacturing Competitiveness of the Forest Products Industry:
Competing in Today's Global Manufacturing and Consumer Marketplace
WMMA® Member Earns Federal Government Matching Funds Grant through an Article read in The Cutting Edge
Wood Bedroom Furniture Tariffs Reduced
Wood Furniture Import Trends
Congratulations to WMMA's® Challengers Award Winners!
IWF 2004 a Success
Tools to Help Manage the Hispanic Workforce
Innovative Energy, Efficient Industrial Ventilation - Provided by Ecogate

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