WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor announced the award of nearly $2 million in grant funding to support efforts by six non-profit organizations to help low wage-earning women understand and exercise their employment rights and benefits.

Participant:   Huber Engineered Woods LLC,  Easton, Maine.

Description:  Huber Engineered Woods, which employs about 135 workers in Easton, manufactures oriented strand board for commercial and residential construction.

In the week ending September 24, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 193,000, a decrease of 16,000 from the previous week's revised level. The previous week's level was revised down by 4,000 from 213,000 to 209,000. The 4-week moving average was 207,000, a decrease of 8,750 from the previous week's revised average. The previous week's average was revised down by 1,000 from 216,750 to 215,750.

TULSA, OK – A federal investigation into the pay practices of a Tulsa security company has recovered $103,979, in back wages for 55 current and former employees denied their rights to overtime pay for hours over 40 in a workweek.

Employer:                                   Heart2Heart Homecare Service Inc.

Investigation site:                  483 John R. Junkin Drive

                                                          Natchez, MS 39120

WHO:                         Marvin

                                  Fargo, North Dakota

WHAT:                      Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s Voluntary Protection Program

                                  Star Level Designation

SAN JOSE, CA – The U.S. Department of Labor has assessed $139,398, in penalties to a Silicon Valley delivery company that brings consumers specialty foods from well-known restaurants, bakeries, cafes and other California providers for hiring dozens of minor-aged workers as drivers, a prohibited occupation under federal child labor laws.

Participant:   Louisiana Workforce Commission

Address:           Baton Rouge, Louisiana

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor has announced updated and new tools designed to eliminate child and forced labor worldwide by detailing the scope and potential sources of the problems, and providing guidance to those combating them.

BELLWOOD, IL – A federal workplace safety inspection found a Chicago-area candy manufacturer’s long history of violations for machine safety requirements continues after the company exposed workers to amputation hazards and failed to utilize lockout procedures for the third time in five years at its Bellwood site.

Employer:                                   Tucker Brewing Co. LLC

Investigation site:                  2003 S. Bibb Drive

                                                          Tucker, GA 30084

Employer name:                   Primeforce Inc., operating as Elite Workforce Management

Investigation site:                9301 Frazier Pike

                                                        Little Rock, AR 72206

BOSTON – A heavy equipment operator doing demolition on the eighth floor of the Government Center garage in downtown Boston died on March 26, 2022, when the partially demolished floor collapsed, and the 11,000-pound excavator and its operator fell 80 feet. It was the employee’s first day on the job.

Employer:                                   Stat Etc. Inc.

                                                         Operating as Queen City Home and Medical Staffing

Investigation site:                  530 E. Innes St.

                                                         Salisbury, NC 28144

Nombre del empleador:                   Omega Drywall Company Inc.

Lugar de investigación:                    3010 Eula Morgan Road

                                                                       Katy, TX 77493

Employer name:                    Omega Drywall Company Inc.                                        

Investigation site:                  3010 Eula Morgan Road

                                                         Katy, TX 77493

PHILADELPHIA – The U.S. Department of Labor has obtained a consent judgment that will recover $9.3 million in back wages and liquidated damages for 1,756 employees of a Philadelphia healthcare staffing company that misclassified them and willfully denied their hard-earned overtime pay.

ASHLAND, AL – A federal workplace safety investigation into a maintenance technician’s fatal electrocution found an Ashland cabinet manufacturer might have prevented the incident by following required safety standards.