On Your
Behalf
It has been a little over a year since the world witnessed the death of George Floyd; one of the major catalysts that shed light on systemic societal inequalities in our nation and abroad. It is also, in part, what prompted OESA to do more to increase the awareness and action for greater diversity, equity and inclusion in our workplace and the industry. While OESA’s DE&I journey began 12 months ago, our commitment remains strong and we are making strides. “Be the change you wish to see in the world,” is a popular quote by Mahatma Gandhi and a one that we took to heart as we began our DE&I journey. OESA and the other divisions of MEMA formed a task force of employees with wide-ranging backgrounds – the All-Together Team – to assess our DE&I gaps and practices and make recommendations to help our members improve their DE&I practices. Externally, the team: • • • • • •
Formed a DE&I Council, in cooperation with CADIA, to help supplier members learn best practices Hosted an event that featured supplier organizations that have successful DE&I programs Created and publicized a DE&I statement highlighting our commitment Added a DE&I statement to job postings to encourage a diverse range of applicants Is instituting an annual DE&I Barometer to benchmark progress and initiatives in automotive Secured a DE&I ambassador to better understand the needs of the supplier community
Some of our internal accomplishments include: • • • •
Organized quarterly “Courageous Conversations” for employees to address DE&I in the workplace Coordinated monthly “Continuing Conversations” for “deeper” conversations beyond the quarterly sessions Developed a monthly email that provides relevant resources, articles and videos for improving DE&I in the workplace Updated the employee handbook to outline DE&I expectations of every team member
The DE&I work of OESA and the industry is an ongoing endeavor; one we proudly support. Learn how your organization can get involved. For details, contact April Buford at abuford@oesa.org or Keiyania Mann at kmann@oesa.org.
Julie A. Fream President and CEO OESA
OESA News - 2021 Second Quarter
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