November 18, 2010

DOL's Wage and Hour Division assesses Georgia agricultural employer $1.3 million in back wages and $136,500 in penalties -

ATLANTA —Following an investigation, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division is assessing J&R Baker Farms LLC $1,311,644 in back wages owed to 244 workers and $136,500 in fines for violating provisions of the H-2A temporary agricultural worker program.

The department’s Office of the Solicitor has filed a request with the department’s Office of Administrative Law Judges to hold a hearing to enforce the department’s findings against the Ellenton, Ga., agricultural employer.

November 18, 2010

US Labor Department proposes rule to implement annual funding notice requirement for pension plans

WASHINGTON – Pursuant to a requirement imposed by the Pension Protection Act of 2006, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Employee Benefits Security Administration today announced a proposed rule to implement the annual funding notice requirement under section 101(f) of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act.

November 17, 2010

Statement by Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis on US Senate's failure to pass Paycheck Fairness Act

WASHINGTON – Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis today issued the following statement after the Senate's failure to invoke cloture (by a margin of 58 to 41) on S. 3772 – the Paycheck Fairness Act:

November 17, 2010

DOL announces 2011 Trade Adjustment Assistance initial funding allocations

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced initial funding allocations for Trade Adjustment Assistance for states to assist workers who lose their jobs due to outsourcing and foreign trade.

November 17, 2010

US Labor Department obtains judgments against trustees of New York City- based pension plan for violating employee benefits law

NEW YORK – The U.S. Department of Labor has obtained a judgment against trustee Samuel Kohl and default judgments against trustee Caren Kohl and Welko Inc. of New York City as fiduciaries of the Welko Inc. Pension Plan, permanently barring them from serving in a fiduciary capacity to any employee benefit plan covered by the Employee Retirement Income Security Act.

November 16, 2010

US Labor Department study underscores positive impact of unemployment insurance

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced the findings of a multi-year study of the impact of the Unemployment Insurance program in stabilizing the economy during a deep recession. The study was commissioned by the department and undertaken by IMPAQ International LLC and the Urban Institute.

November 16, 2010

US Labor Department sues owner of defunct Mass. & RI company to restore more than $6.6 million in misused funds owed to company pension plan

BOSTON – The U.S. Department of Labor has sued Fathalla M. Mashali, owner and president of the now defunct Northern Rhode Island Anesthesia Associates P.C. and its subsidiaries, for failing to forward more than $6 million in contributions plus interest owed to the company’s pension plan, in violation of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act. The company operated subsidiaries throughout Massachusetts and Rhode Island.

November 16, 2010

U.S. Labor Department announces nationwide enforcement actions to protect millions of dollars in worker retirement and health benefits

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor's Employee Benefits Security Administration today announced a series of enforcement actions to protect more than $7 million for workers in retirement plans or health plans governed by the Employee Retirement Income Security Act.

November 16, 2010

US Labor Department sues Westbrook, Conn., company and president to restore misused 401(k) plan assets

NEW HAVEN, Conn. – The U.S. Department of Labor has sued Custom Navigation Systems Inc. of Westbrook, Conn., and company president Steven G. Gill for failing to forward $70,000 in employee contributions and loan repayments withheld from employees’ paychecks to the company’s 401(k) plan, in violation of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act.

November 16, 2010

U.S. Labor Department sues executive of defunct Oklahoma aircraft manufacturer for misuse of welfare benefit assets

ALTUS, Okla. - The U.S. Department of Labor has sued the owner of defunct Quartz Mountain Aerospace Inc., which operated in Altus, Okla., and Coffeeville, Kan., for misusing assets of the company's welfare benefit plan to benefit himself and the company.

November 16, 2010

U.S. Labor Department sues Albuquerque, NM, engineering company and its president to recover employee contributions owed to 401(k) plan

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. - The U.S. Department of Labor has sued Hensley Engineering Group LLC of Albuquerque and its president, Lisa Hensley, for misusing assets of $48,528.30 in employee contributions owed to the company's 401(k) plan to benefit themselves.

November 16, 2010

US Labor Department sues Woodland Hills, Calif., company and president to protect 401(k) assets

PASADENA, Calif. – The U.S. Department of Labor has sued Sophisticated Technologies Inc., a defunct system design and software company in Woodland Hills, Calif., and former president Moshe Klein for failure to protect $26,825 in employee contributions plus lost opportunity costs owed to the company’s 401(k) plan.

November 16, 2010

US Labor Department sues Houston employee staffing company and owner for misuse of 401(k) plan assets

HOUSTON – The U.S. Department of Labor has sued NSC Cos. Inc. of Houston and its owner for failing to remit or timely forward employee contributions to the company’s 401(k) plan and using the plan’s assets for their own benefit, in violation of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act.

November 16, 2010

U.S. Labor Department sues Somerset, Pa., companies and executive to protect 401(k) profit-sharing plan participants

SOMERSET, Pa. - The U.S. Department of Labor has sued Super City Sports Sales Inc., general manager James V. Sujansky and parent company Pioneer Inc. for failing to remit employee contributions to the company's 401(k) profit-sharing plan, and for withdrawing all remaining plan funds in violation of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act.

November 16, 2010

U.S. Labor Department sues defunct Ocala, Fla., construction company to restore 401(k) plan assets for the benefit of plan participants

OCALA, Fla. - The U.S. Department of Labor has sued the defunct Triple T Construction Inc. and its owner, George Thompson III, to restore assets to the former company's 401(k) plan for the benefit of plan participants and beneficiaries.

November 16, 2010

U.S. Labor Department sues executive of Austin, Texas, veterinary clinic over misuse of 401(k) profit sharing plan assets

AUSTIN, Texas - The U.S. Department of Labor sued the chief financial officer and husband of the owner of bankrupt TLS Vets P.A., located in Austin, for misusing 401(k) profit sharing assets to benefit himself and the veterinary clinic.

November 16, 2010

US Labor Department sues defunct Lexington, SC, steel fabricator to restore more than $7,000 in losses suffered by retirement plan participants

LEXINGTON, S.C. – The U.S. Department of Labor is suing the former Rogers Steel Co. and its owner to restore losses suffered by participants and beneficiaries of the company’s savings incentive match plan for employees individual retirement account, or SIMPLE IRA plan. Rogers Steel Co. was a steel fabricator located in Lexington.

November 16, 2010

US Department of Labor sues Mt. Horeb Plumbing Inc. and owner to restore more than $30,000 to employee 401(k) plan

MT. HOREB, Wis. – The U.S. Department of Labor has sued Mt. Horeb Plumbing Inc. and its owner and president, Michael D. O’Connell, for failing to make $30,120.65 in contributions and for untimely remitting $49,235.15 to the company’s employee 401(k) plan in violation of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act.

November 16, 2010

U.S. Labor Department sues Dallas paralegal company and executive to recover plan assets for company's SIMPLE IRA plan

DALLAS - The U.S. Department of Labor has sued Paralegals Plus Inc. in Dallas and its chief executive officer for failure to remit employee contributions and plan assets to the company's savings incentive match plan for employees individual retirement account, or SIMPLE IRA plan and for using the plan's assets to benefit the company, in violation of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act.

November 16, 2010

U.S. Labor Department sues Charleston, SC, heating and air conditioning company to restore more than $44,000 in retirement plan losses

CHARLESTON, S.C. - The U.S. Department of Labor has sued Charleston, S.C.-based Wappoo Service Heating and Air Conditioning and its president, Perry Miles, to restore $44,250.34 in losses suffered by participants and beneficiaries of the company's savings incentive match plan for employees individual retirement account, or SIMPLE IRA plan. The lawsuit followed an investigation by the department's Employee Benefits Security Administration into alleged violations of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act.