April 4, 2024

Court orders holiday wreaths producer to pay $1.8M in back wages, damages to 700 workers; wage investigation began after van crash injured workers

SEATTLE – A federal court has ordered a producer of Christmas wreaths and seasonal greens for major retailers — including Costco, Publix, Target, Trader Joe’s, Walmart and Wegmans — to pay $1.85 million in back wages and damages to nearly 700 workers after the U.S. Department of Labor found the employer failed to pay required overtime wages and violated migrant and seasonal workers’ rights.

April 4, 2024

US Department of Labor announces $49.2M in available funding to support career training, wraparound services to connect rural workers with good jobs

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced the availability of $49.2 million in funding to provide career training services to prepare workers in the Appalachian, Lower Mississippi Delta and Northern Border regions to obtain quality jobs. 

April 4, 2024

Unemployment Insurance Weekly Claims Report

In the week ending March 30, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 221,000, an increase of 9,000 from the previous week's revised level. The previous week's level was revised up by 2,000 from 210,000 to 212,000. The 4-week moving average was 214,250, an increase of 2,750 from the previous week's revised average. The previous week's average was revised up by 500 from 211,000 to 211,500.

April 3, 2024

Department of Labor, Office of US Trade Representative find labor rights denial at Tizapa mine in Zacazonapan, Mexico

WASHINGTON – The U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement’s Interagency Labor Committee for Monitoring and Enforcement today requested the Mexican government conduct a review based on its finding that a denial of workers’ rights has occurred at Minera Tizapa S.A. de C.V., in Zacazonapan.

April 3, 2024

Department of Labor investigation finds one of the nation’s largest modular home manufacturers exposed workers to dozens of safety, health risks

AUSTIN, TX An Austin subsidiary of one of the nation’s largest producers of modular and manufactured homes faces $272,479 in penalties after federal investigators found the company exposing employees to more than two dozen serious violations during an October 2023 inspection.

April 3, 2024

US Department of Labor survey depends on Guam’s construction employers to complete wage survey, establish accurate prevailing wages, benefits

DEDEDO, Guam – The U.S. Department of Labor encourages construction industry employers in Guam to participate in a survey to help establish accurate prevailing wage rates and reduce the need for contractors to seek additional labor classifications.

April 2, 2024

US Department of Labor to award up to $67.1M to help youth, young adults with disabilities overcome obstacles to employment

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced the award of $10.5 million to fund the first year of four, five-year cooperative agreements aimed at developing strategies to assist youth and young adults with disabilities — particularly in underserved communities — in successfully transitioning into the workforce.

The awards have been granted to the Connecticut Department of Labor, Kansas Department of Commerce, Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development and the New York Department of Labor.

April 2, 2024

US Department of Labor recovers $125K in back wages for 23 workers after finding Lexington pub, restaurant operated invalid tip pool

Employer:                             Krafty Draft Brew Pub LLC

                                                269 Charter Oak Road 

April 2, 2024

US Department of Labor announces final amendment to ‘QPAM exemption’

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor announced today that its Employee Benefits Security Administration has released a final amendment to Class Prohibited Transaction Exemption 84-14, also known as the Qualified Professional Asset Manager Exemption, which permits various parties related to employee benefit plans and individual retirement accounts to engage in transactions involving plan and IRA assets.

April 1, 2024

Department of Labor, Office of Trade Representative seek review of alleged labor rights’ denial at Nuevo León, Mexico, industrial parts facility

WASHINGTON – The U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement’s Interagency Labor Committee for Monitoring and Enforcement today requested the Mexican government review an allegation that workers’ rights are being denied at the Servicios Industriales González industrial parts manufacturing facility in Nuevo León, Mexico.

April 1, 2024

US Department of Labor to hold benefits assistance events in Pennsylvania for current, former coal miners disabled by black lung disease, survivors

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced that its Federal Black Lung Program will host four outreach events in Pennsylvania from April 8-11 for current and former coal miners suffering disabilities related to black lung disease, and their families to assist them in filing or refiling claims for benefits. 

March 29, 2024

US Department of Labor recovers $25K in back wages, damages after finding Cowpens plumbing company shortchanged 17 workers’ overtime

Employer:                       Williams Plumbing & Associates Inc.

March 29, 2024

US Department of Labor issues final rule to clarify rights to employee representation during OSHA inspections

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced a final rule clarifying the rights of employees to authorize a representative to accompany an Occupational Safety and Health Administration compliance officer during an inspection of their workplace will be published in the Federal Register on April 1.

March 28, 2024

Ohio painting company pays $30K in child labor penalties for employing 17-year-old teens to paint houses, work from roofs

Employers:    Neubert Painting Inc., Brook Park, Ohio

                         John Neubert, owner

Action:           U.S. Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division investigation

March 28, 2024

Unemployment Insurance Weekly Claims Report

In the week ending March 23, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 210,000, a decrease of 2,000 from the previous week's revised level. The previous week's level was revised up by 2,000 from 210,000 to 212,000. The 4-week moving average was 211,000, a decrease of 750 from the previous week's revised average. The previous week's average was revised up by 500 from 211,250 to 211,750.

March 27, 2024

Department of Labor holds PrimeLending vice president, managers liable after employees fired for reporting consumer fraud concerns

SAN FRANCISCO ‒ The U.S. Department of Labor has ordered a former senior vice president and two managers employed by PrimeLending to pay $35,000 in emotional damages and the legal fees of two California employees who the company fired illegally after they reported a branch manager pressured them to pass on fees to loan applicants caused by the company’s internal processing delays. 

March 27, 2024

El Departamento de Trabajo recupera casi $100K en salarios, daños y perjuicios para 31 trabajadores de construcción en Oklahoma

Nombre de la empresa:                    Future Inc.

Lugares de la investigación:           10216 Oak Dr.

March 27, 2024

Department of Labor recovers nearly $100K in wages, damages for 31 misclassified Oklahoma construction workers

Employer name:                      Future Inc.

Investigation sites:               10216 Oak Dr

                                                        Newalla, OK 74857