Helping communities thrive by investing in good jobs

In Nevada this week, Acting Secretary of Labor Julie Su made multiple stops to highlight the importance of civil rights, social justice and good-paying jobs at the 2024 UnidosUS Annual Conference, the annual NAACP National Convention, and a local YouthBuild grantee helping young adults get the skills they need for good jobs in the trades and other in-demand careers. See highlights from Acting Secretary Su’s recent trip.

More than $244 million in grants will help modernize, diversify and expand the Registered Apprenticeship system in growing U.S. industries. Acting Secretary Su and White House Domestic Policy Advisor Neera Tanden announced the historic investments in Registered Apprenticeships at the Pennsylvania College of Technology last week. The investments are part of the Biden-Harris administration’s Investing in America agenda, which is rebuilding the middle class and increasing opportunities for underrepresented populations to enter lucrative, rewarding careers.

In a corporate-wide settlement, Dollar General has agreed to pay $12 million in penalties for workplace safety violations and implement changes that prioritize worker safety. These improvements include hiring additional safety managers, preventing blocked exits and unsafe material storage, providing safety and health training, and more.

We published a final rule that updates eligibility requirements for current and former nuclear weapons workers seeking to file benefits claims related to beryllium sensitivity – revising regulations governing the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act and making benefits available to people once deemed ineligible.

We’ve awarded nearly $14 million to support demonstration projects providing IT training and employment services to students at Job Corps centers near Atlanta and San Francisco. Award recipients will begin training this summer and provide students with 48 months of career technical training and up to 12 months of employment counseling after separation from the academy at nine Job Corps centers.

Associate Deputy Secretary of Labor Nikki McKinney moderated a panel conversation on the department’s contributions as a member of the Biden Cancer Cabinet. These include ensuring protections for workers, enforcing laws designed to protect workers from workplace cancer hazards, advancing policies for individuals with cancer-related disabilities and more.

• Watch Nikki McKinney on the department’s role in the Biden Cancer Cabinet
• Watch the Biden Cancer Moonshot panel

We are seeking 72 garment workers still owed back wages and damages after recovering more than $1.1 million in a Los Angeles wage theft case involving Good Cash LLC and related companies.

July is the month we celebrate our nation’s independence, but it can also be the month you celebrate your Financial Independence Day and review your financial planning.

The department is suing the owner of eight Indianapolis-area healthcare services companies, for defying a 2022 court judgment requiring him to pay his employees overtime wages.

Alleged labor rights violations at the RV Fresh processing facility in Michoacan, Mexico, have been resolved under the USMCA’s Rapid Response Labor Mechanism.

EBSA is soliciting nominations to fill five three-year vacancies on the ERISA Advisory Council. The deadline to submit nominations is August 26.

The Triad 2024 Conference highlighted the growing impact of technology and importance of updated labor practices. 

Meet Khumbu! She’s an experienced hiker with an adventurous spirit and a flair for brightly colored accessories. When owner Jennifer isn’t enjoying the outdoors with her furry sidekick, she’s leading outreach efforts in her region for our Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs 

-@USDOL Instagram

• Las Vegas Review-Journal: Latinas ‘powering’ recovering U.S. economy, labor secretary tells UnidosUS attendees
• Madam Policy Podcast: Interview with ILAB’s Thea Lee on protecting workers’ rights in the global economy
• Bloomberg: Dollar General (DG) Agrees to Settle With US Over Store Safety Allegations
• Union Leader: More than $900,000 in back wages, withheld tips recovered from Londonderry brewery, feds say