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OPA News Release: [02/04/2002] Contact: Sue
Hensley
"Wartime Budget" Preserves Services to Workers
Increases for
Retirement Security, Workforce Protection, Job Corps
WASHINGTON - U.S. Department of Labor Secretary Elaine L. Chao
today announced that core services and programs for workers would be fully
maintained in the Administration's request for the Department of Labor's Fiscal
Year (FY) 2003 budget.
"We have succeeded in this wartime budget in preserving vital services
and programs that help workers, while increasing our commitment to retirement
security and other worker protections," said Chao. "We have also rewarded a
proven winner in our Department's programs that help young people connect to
the workforce: the Job Corps. Overall, we have made the sacrifices necessary to
help win the war on terrorism and defend our land. But one thing we will not do
is sacrifice essential worker protections and services that help those in
need."
The Department of Labor's FY 2003 budget includes the following
highlights:
- Job Corps will receive a net increase of $73 million to continue to
provide intensive skill training and academic and social education, and support
to an estimated 73,300 participants at 122 centers in FY 2003. The change
includes $29 million to increase teacher salaries, $16 million for more slots
at newly opened centers, $15 million to build additional centers and $4 million
to provide high school accreditation at all centers.
- The Pension and Welfare Benefits Administration (PWBA) will receive
a total of $121 million (a 5% increase over 2002) to strengthen its activities
to protect retirement security. Last year, the agency recovered over $662
million in pension assets that had been lost by fiduciary breach. The increase
will allow PWBA to expand its efforts in ERISA enforcement, outreach and
compliance assistance.
- The Office of the Inspector General (OIG) will receive an increase
of $5.3 million, which includes resources to combat labor racketeering in
pension plans and organized crime. The new budget provides more funds to locate
and prosecute organized crime figures, contractors and union officials engaged
in corrupt activities against union members' benefit plans. Funds would also be
provided for the OIG to root out fraud in the Unemployment Insurance (UI)
program.
- The budget includes an increase of $9 million for funding of the
Office of Disability Employment Policy, an increase of 24%. This funding will
support the President's New Freedom Initiative and promote community-based
employment and training for youths with disabilities.
- Funding for enforcement of worker protection laws will increase in
targeted areas by $37.4 million in FY 2003. Of that amount, $13.3 million will
go to OSHA, $9.8 million will go to the Mine Safety and Health Administration,
and $3.5 million will go to improving protections of union members' rights and
benefits.
- The FY 2003 budget proposes comprehensive reform of the Unemployment
Insurance (UI) and Employment Services (ES) system. This reform would enable
states to fund reemployment services more effectively, combat fraud and abuse
and assure prompt benefit payments. The reform would also make extended
unemployment benefits more readily available in a recession.
For more information please visit www.dol.gov
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