May 23, 2024

Department of Labor reaches settlement with Linden contractor after finding the company failed to prevent fatal 5-story fall at a Bayonne work site

LINDEN, NJ  – The U.S. Department of Labor has reached a settlement agreement with a New Jersey contractor after a worker suffered a fatal fall at a Bayonne worksite in October 2023. 

May 23, 2024

Department of Labor awards nearly $3.8M in funding to Florida to continue support for temporary jobs, workforce training after Hurricane Ian

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced the incremental award of $3,750,000 in funding to support continued disaster-relief employment and workforce training for eligible residents in Florida as the state continues to recover following Hurricane Ian. 

May 23, 2024

Unemployment Insurance Weekly Claims Report

In the week ending May 18, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 215,000, a decrease of 8,000 from the previous week's revised level. The previous week's level was revised up by 1,000 from 222,000 to 223,000. The 4-week moving average was 219,750, an increase of 1,750 from the previous week's revised average. The previous week's average was revised up by 250 from 217,750 to 218,000.

May 22, 2024

Federal court finds USPS again wrongfully fired probationary mail carrier shortly after reporting workplace injury, this time in Oregon

PORTLAND, OR – After a two-day bench trial, the U.S. Department of Labor obtained a federal court judgment that orders the U.S. Postal Service to pay $141,307 in lost wages and damages for emotional distress suffered to a probationary mail carrier who the agency fired after they reported an on-the-job injury to their supervisor and filed an accident report. 

May 22, 2024

Court denies Vermont employers’ motion to dismiss Department of Labor lawsuit alleging social media retaliation against employees

BOSTON – A federal court in Vermont has concluded that the First Amendment does not protect a Milton, Vermont, excavation contractor and its officials from using social media to retaliate against employees. The decision by the U.S. District Court for the District of Vermont is the latest action in ongoing litigation between the Department of Labor and Bevins & Son Inc.

May 22, 2024

El Departamento del Trabajo y el estado de Oregon llegan a un acuerdo para mejorar el acceso lingüístico al programa de seguro de desempleo

WASHINGTON — El Departamento del Trabajo de los EE. UU. anunció hoy un acuerdo voluntario con el Departamento de Empleo de Oregon para reafirmar el compromiso de brindar un acceso significativo al programa de seguro de desempleo para las personas con dominio limitado del inglés.

May 22, 2024

Department of Labor, State of Oregon reach agreement to improve language access to unemployment insurance program

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor today announced a voluntary resolution agreement with the Employment Department of Oregon to reaffirm its commitment to provide meaningful access in its unemployment insurance program for people with limited English proficiency.

May 22, 2024

US Department of Labor files complaint seeking $300K in back wages, damages for Belleville restaurant workers denied minimum wage, overtime

Employers:    Gordo Corp., operating as El Gordito, Belleville, Illinois

                        Patricia and Samuel Gonzalez Lara, owners

Action:           Complaint filing

May 21, 2024

Court orders Long Island employer who demanded employees kick back recovered wages to pay $15K in punitive damages

Date of action:                      May 20, 2024

 Type of action:                     Consent judgment and order 

 Names of defendants:           P & B Heating & Air Conditioning Corp., West Babylon, New York; 

May 21, 2024

Caterpillar to pay $800K to resolve racial hiring discrimination at Decatur, Illinois, facility alleged in federal compliance review

DECATUR, IL – The U.S. Department of Labor has entered into a conciliation agreement with Caterpillar Inc. to resolve alleged systemic hiring discrimination against 60 Black applicants at one of the heavy equipment manufacturer’s production facilities in Decatur, Illinois.

May 21, 2024

US Department of Labor recovers $38K in back wages for 17 workers, court finds Dearborn restaurant owner in contempt of 2018 order

Employers:    MKK Holding Inc., operating as the Blue Fish Asian Cuisine, Dearborn, Michigan

                        Sung Hee Kim

                        Min Kyu Kim

May 21, 2024

Waukegan roofing contractor finally pays $365K in penalties for endangering employees when Department of Labor moves to seize employer’s property

CHICAGO – Joshua Herion, a Waukegan roofing contractor who has routinely endangered employees by ignoring federal workplace standards and penalties assesses for its violations since 2014, has paid $365,576 in fines and interest, after the U.S. Department of Labor moved to seize the employer’s assets as part of the department’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration debt collection program.

May 20, 2024

Department of Labor recovers more than $450K in back wages, damages for 62 workers at Half Moon Bay farms, sites of 2023 fatal shootings

SAN FRANCISCO – A U.S. Department of Labor investigation has recovered more than $450,000 in back wages and damages for 62 people employed by two Half Moon Bay mushroom farms — where a disgruntled co-worker fatally shot seven migrant workers in January 2023 — and assessed penalties after investigators found the employers underpaid workers and provided unsafe housing conditions.

May 20, 2024

Federal court orders backpay, damages, prohibits Greenville cleaning service from violating wage laws after Department of Labor sues

GREENVILLE, MS The Department of Labor has obtained a federal consent judgment that requires a Greenville cleaning and janitorial service and its owner to pay more than $127,000 in back wages, liquidated damages and compensatory damages following a court’s finding that the two illegally terminated workers for asserting their rights to federally-mandated sick leave. 

May 20, 2024

Department of Labor announces final rule updating the Hazard Communication Standard to better protect workers, first responders

WASHINGTON – The Department of Labor today announced a final rule from its Occupational Safety and Health Administration that will update the current Hazard Communication Standard to better protect workers by improving the amount and quality of information on labels and safety data sheets and allow workers and first responders to react more quickly in an emergency. The updates take effect on July 19, 2024. 

May 20, 2024

El Departamento de Trabajo de EE. UU. recupera $37K para 19 trabajadores negados horas extras en 2 restaurantes en el Valle del Río Grande

Nombre del empleador:        Blanca Rosa Amezcua, cuyo nombre comercial es Taqueria Tepeque #1

May 16, 2024

El Departamento de Trabajo anuncia la expansión del sitio web sobre los derechos de los trabajadores migrantes

WASHINGTON – El Departamento de Trabajo anunció hoy una expansión significativa de MigrantWorker.gov y su versión en español, TrabajadorMigrante.gov, sitios web que brindan información útil para ayudar a proteger los derechos de todos los trabajadores estadounidenses, independientemente de su estatus migratorio.

May 16, 2024

Department of Labor announces $12M in additional funding available to improve job quality, expand access to good jobs in critical industries

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced the availability of $12 million in additional funds to improve job quality and increase the availability of good jobs in critical industries, including an emphasis on training provided for jobs in the care economy such as home, elder and childcare.