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DOL News Brief December 3, 2009
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What's Hot: Secretary Solis to Host Web Chat on DOL’s Regulatory Agenda On Monday, Dec. 7, at 10 a.m. EST, the U.S. Department of Labor will make available video remarks by Secretary Hilda L. Solis outlining the department’s regulatory agenda. From 2 to 3 p.m. EST at the same Web location, the secretary will host a live Web chat — open to the public and members of the press — to discuss the contents of the agenda. Questions may be submitted in advance of the chat following the video presentation. The Department’s full regulatory agenda, scheduled to be published in the Federal Register on the morning of Dec. 7, will focus on improving the lives of working Americans and leveling the playing field for businesses that play by the rules. | |
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National News: White House Jobs Summit Secretary Solis on Thursday kicked-off the White House Forum on Jobs and Economic Growth that brought together business, labor, and nonprofit leaders for a discussion of long term job creation. During a breakout session, Secretary Solis asked participants, "How can employers get people who are out of work trained for the jobs that exist today?" Randall Stephenson, chairman of AT&T, suggested creating partnerships between community colleges and the private sector. | |
DOL Working For You ARRA, Youth Program Leads Young Woman to Carpentry Success
Twenty-one-year-old Alexandria, Va. native Rashea Lewis is the first to admit that both her people and math skills weren’t very good, and she had no career direction. But thanks to a summer youth employment program funded through the Recovery Act, Lewis learned the carpentry skills to build cisterns out of recycled wood--a skill that she put to use irrigating a roof garden at her local high school. This lead to her current schooling as a building trades carpentry apprentice at Virginia’s Seaport Foundation, where she also hopes to complete her GED by early next year. “Before, I didn’t know carpentry, was not good at math, and had no people skills,” said Lewis as she credited the Recovery Act and youth program for her success. “Those programs changed my life, and are enabling me to do things I couldn’t do before.” | |
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News You Can Use Your Guide to Employment Law "Fair and safe practices in the workplace are a top priority for the Department of Labor, and we want to make it simple for both employers and workers to understand the federal policies that protect them," said Secretary Solis as the Department unveiled an updated Employment Law Guide. This improved version of the online publication addresses important changes in employment laws--including the increase in the federal minimum wage and an expansion of the FMLA. Tools for America’s Job Seekers Challenge! DOL is connecting workers with job search and career exploration resources through the "Tools for America’s Job Seekers Challenge." Providers of job search-engines, job boards, career development sites, and all other career-focused online resources are invited to submit their sites until December 18. In January, the public will be invited to review them and provide feedback. | |
DOL In Action MSHA Black Lung Reduction Strategy Black lung, a collection of debilitating and potentially fatal diseases, has been on the rise in recent years. The Department’s Mine Safety and Health Administration announced today a comprehensive strategy to end new cases of black lung among the nation’s coal miners. Strategies will include focused enforcement, targeted education and training, rulemaking, and collaboration with stakeholders, as well as four public informational events. Struthers Industries $303,084.61 ERISA Violation The verdict is back in Solis v. Struthers Industries Inc. A federal district court in Gulfport, Miss., has ordered Jomey B. Ethridge liable for $303,084.61 in assets belonging to the 401(k) plan of Struthers Industries after he allowed employee contributions to be used for purposes other than providing benefits. Ethridge is also permanently barred from serving as fiduciary of any plan governed by the Employee Retirement Income Security Act. Cambria Contracting Inc. Cited for 11 Violations Cambria Contracting Inc., a Lockport, N.Y., demolition contractor, faces a total of $484,000 in proposed penalties for 11 willful violations of the Department’s construction asbestos standard. Despite extensive knowledge of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration standards that govern asbestos removal and handling, the employer failed to train and protect its workers at a Buffalo jobsite. Department Settles Allegations over Foreign Worker Violations Eurofresh Inc. of Willcox, Ariz., has reached an agreement with the U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division to pay $937,460 in back wages and interest to 587 U.S. workers following an investigation into company practices related to hiring temporary, non-immigrant foreign agricultural workers. Endres Cited for Safety and Health Violations The Department’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has cited Endres Processing LLC, headquartered in Rosemount, Minn., and its subsidiary, Endres Processing Ohio LLC, with safety and health violations that include lack of explosion protection and exposing workers to combustible dust hazards. Proposed fines total $472,900. |
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Recovery Highlights Congressional Budget Office on Recovery Act and Employment “This new report from the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) is further evidence of what private forecasters and government economists have been saying: the Recovery Act is already responsible for more than 1 million jobs nationwide,” said Vice President Biden in response to a CBO report examining the impact of the Recovery Act on national employment. $2.4 Million to Provide Health Insurance Payments The Department has provided a $2,422,473 grant (funded under the Recovery Act) to assist 1,892 jobless workers with partial premium payments for health insurance coverage. “Finding new employment is a challenging enough task without having to worry about lacking health coverage for yourself or your family. This funding will help eligible workers avoid that prospect by helping them pay for health insurance while they look for a job,” said Secretary Solis. $831,423 to Workers Affected by Lumber Layoffs The Department announced a grant of up to $831,423 to assist approximately 75 workers affected by layoffs at Hampton Affiliates' Tillamook Lumber in Tillamook, Ore. The grant will be funded by resources made available for National Emergency Grants under the Recovery Act. "Today's grant will provide the retraining and re-employment services necessary for these Oregonians to upgrade existing skills or seek out retraining that leads to careers in growing regional industries," said Secretary Solis. |
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Opportunities are Open: Pennsylvania Great employment opportunities are open in the Keystone State with the U.S. Department of Labor! Check out the three PA positions below or view all the exciting and rewarding DOL opportunities.
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Great Minds Met in Pittsburgh
'Made in the USA' was once symbolic of the United States’ role as a leader in the manufacturing industry, and the world economy. Yet, as America changed, so did our reliance on manual labor. Secretary Solis and several industry leaders came together at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh on Monday for the CNBC series "Meeting of the Minds" to discuss the future of the manufacturing industry, and explore what might be the nation's next great industrial revolution: Green Jobs! The program aired on CNBC on Wednesday evening, but you can watch it here. | |
Shire Lecture Takes a New Look at the Woman Behind the New Deal
On Wednesday, December 9, the Department’s Office of the Solicitor will host the 2009 Donald Shire Lecture at 10:30 a.m., in the Auditorium of the Frances Perkins Building. The Lecture was established in 2006 as a tribute to Don Shire who retired after 41 years of service to DOL. This year’s Lecture will feature Kirstin Downey, a former Washington Post reporter who wrote the critically-acclaimed new biography about Secretary of Labor Frances Perkins, the first woman to serve in a President's Cabinet. Members of the public are invited to attend, but must RSVP in advance. | |
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Youth Clean Energy Forum
Secretary Solis joined EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson at the White House on Wednesday for the Youth Clean Energy Environmental Economy Forum. The Secretary met with young leaders from around the country and spoke about transitioning to a clean energy economy that will create jobs, enhance national security, and help protect our environment for generations to come. “By providing the training that will turn 20th century jobs into secure 21st century green jobs, we are paving a pathway out of poverty; strengthening urban and rural communities; and protecting the health of our citizens and planet,” she told the group.
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In History: VEVRAA This week marks the 35th anniversary of the Vietnam Era Veterans' Readjustment Assistance Act of 1974 (VEVRAA). The law and its implementing regulations require employers with (1) federal contracts or subcontracts of $25,000 or more, entered into before December 1, 2003, or (2) federal contracts or subcontracts of $100,000 or more, entered into or modified on or after December 1, 2003, to provide equal opportunity and affirmative action for covered veterans. These covered veterans are Vietnam era veterans, special disabled veterans, recently separated veterans, disabled veterans, Armed Forces Service Medal veterans, and veterans who served on active duty during a war or campaign/expedition for which a campaign badge has been authorized. Under VEVRAA, federal contractors must annually report the number of employees and new hires that belong to the categories of veterans protected under this statute. | |
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National Council of Negro Women
Earlier this week, Secretary Solis and Deputy Director of the Women’s Bureau Latifa Lyles delivered remarks at the 54th National Convention of the National Council of Negro Women. “You must know that I am a product of the women’s movement…the social justice movement…and the civil rights movement. All of these experiences and lessons have shaped me and my goal for the Department of Labor: a good job for everyone,” Solis said. | |
Examining Urban Innovation
Last week, Secretary Solis and representatives from the White House Office of Urban Affairs and the Domestic Policy Council visited the IBEW electrical training facility in Commerce, California. They later joined L.A. Mayor Villaraigosa at the L.A. Trade Technical College. This was part of a larger White House initiative to examine innovations in workforce development training in urban communities. | |
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Spotlight: COBRA Subsidy Workshop Which qualified beneficiaries are eligible for the COBRA premium reduction? What new COBRA notices are employers required to provide? Answers to these questions and many more will be provided by benefits advisors from the Department’s Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) on Tuesday, December 8 in Boston’s JFK Federal Building. This 90-minute compliance assistance workshop for employers will address COBRA subsidy and provisions in the Recovery Act EBSA — Getting It Right - Know Your Fiduciary Responsibilities MSHA Federal Mine Inspector Job Screening MSHA End Black Lung Campaign OFCCP — ADA and Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 Seminar OFCCP — AAP Development & Preparing for a Desk Audit OFCCP — ARRA Webinar for Federal and Federally-Assisted Construction Contractors OFCCP Compliance Assistance Seminar OFCCP Compliance Assistance Seminar for Construction Contractors OLMS Compliance Assistance Seminar | |
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