AUSTIN, Texas — The U.S. Department of Labor has settled a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas, Austin Division against Hao Hao Inc., doing business as Hao Hao Restaurant, in Austin, and its owner Kevin Quach, for violations of the minimum wage, overtime and child labor provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act. The company and Quach have agreed to pay more than $70,000 owed to 10 current and former kitchen staff and servers.

WASHINGTON – Preliminary results from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' National Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries were released today. Findings show that the number of fatal work injuries in 2011 was slightly lower than final results from 2010. Last year, 4,609 workers died from work-related injuries, down from a final count of 4,690 in 2010. Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis issued the following statement in response to the census:

JERSEY CITY, N.J. – The U.S. Department of Labors Occupational Safety and Health Administration has cited Continental Terminals Inc., based in Jersey City, with 18 alleged safety and health violations at the companys warehouse in Kearney.OSHA initiated an inspection upon receiving a complaint. Proposed fines total $162,400.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Department of Labor today awarded a $5,790,739 National Emergency Grant increment to assist with continuing cleanup and recovery efforts in New York in the wake of Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee in 2011.

SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA In the week ending September 15, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 382,000, a decrease of 3,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 385,000. The 4-week moving average was 377,750, an increase of 2,000 from the previous week's revised average of 375,750.

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor today announced $20,654,352 for seven states under the Disability Employment Initiative to improve education, training, and employment opportunities and outcomes for youth and adults with disabilities who are unemployed, underemployed and/or receiving Social Security disability benefits. The initiative is jointly funded and administered by the department's Employment and Training Administration and its Office of Disability Employment Policy.

NEW YORK – The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration has cited Blade Contracting Inc., based in Staten Island, with seven safety – including one willful – violations for fall hazards at a Jersey City, N.J., work site. The investigation was initiated after a worker with the masonry contractor was injured by falling from a sixth floor balcony while attempting to access a suspension scaffold. Proposed penalties total $136,290.

Grants are the 2nd installment of $2 billion, 4-year initiative

ALPHARETTA, Ga. – The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration has cited SEI Group of Norcross with four repeat safety violations for exposing workers to fall hazards while they were wrapping insulation material for a new residence located in Alpharetta's Castleberry Estates. OSHA initiated an inspection in June as part of the agency's Local Emphasis Program on Falls in Construction.

MT. LOOKOUT, W.Va. – The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration has cited Roger Shortridge Construction, based in Mt. Lookout, for one willful and two serious violations at a Tridelphia work site. OSHA initiated an investigation in March after a compliance officer observed fall hazards while conducting an inspection of another contractor at the work site. Proposed penalties total $47,400.

DELAWARE CITY, Del. – The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration has cited Formosa Plastics Corp. USA with 16 alleged safety and health violations at its Delaware City site. A March investigation was a follow-up to two inspections opened in October 2009. Proposed penalties total $148,700.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Employee Benefits Security Administration has announced a new 401(k) fee disclosure website as a resource for consumers. The new site, www.dol.gov/ebsa-copy/publications/understandingretirementfees.html, offers information on disclosures that, for the first time, will help workers with 401(k)-type retirement plans see what they are paying to invest their savings. It also includes new tips and tools on making smart retirement investment decisions.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced a $21,438,000 National Emergency Grant to assist with clean-up and recovery efforts in the wake of severe storms and straight-line winds that occurred in Ohio between June 29 and July 2. This grant will provide aid to affected communities across 37 counties throughout the state.

CINCINNATI — The U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs has reached an agreement with federal contractor Meyer Tool Inc. to settle findings of race-based hiring discrimination. Under a consent judgment approved by a Labor Department administrative law judge, Meyer Tool will pay $325,000 in back wages and interest to 60 qualified African-American applicants who were rejected for entry-level machinist positions at the company's manufacturing plant in Cincinnati.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor's Employee Benefits Security Administration announced today that plan sponsors seeking fiduciary relief for a service provider’s failure to comply with the department’s plan-level fee disclosure rule will be able to use a new online filing system, replacing the option of electronically sending notices to a previously established email address.

UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE WEEKLY CLAIMS REPORT

SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA In the week ending September 8, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 382,000, an increase of 15,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 367,000. The 4-week moving average was 375,000, an increase of 3,250 from the previous week's revised average of 371,750.

WASHINGTON – Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis today issued the following statement to mark the 18th anniversary of passage of the landmark Violence Against Women Act:

"This month, we mark the historic passage of VAWA by redoubling our commitment to a zero tolerance policy against this heinous crime and our efforts to help victims rebuild their lives.

WASHINGTON – A meeting of the Advisory Council on Employee Welfare and Pension Benefit Plans, known as the ERISA Advisory Council, will take place Sept. 25 from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. EDT. The meeting is open to the public and will be held in Room 4 of Suite C-5521, U.S. Department of Labor, 200 Constitution Ave. NW, Washington, D.C. 20210.

QUEENS, N.Y. – The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration has cited Rochdale Village Inc. for alleged repeat and serious violations of workplace health and safety standards after two maintenance employees were hospitalized for accidentally inhaling a powder pesticide. The apartment community, located in the Jamaica neighborhood of Queens, faces a total of $116,400 in proposed fines following an inspection by OSHA's Queens District Office.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration today awarded $10.7 million through the Susan Harwood Training Grant Program to 72 nonprofit organizations, including community/faith-based groups, employer associations, labor unions, joint labor/management associations, and colleges and universities.