November 5, 2009

ETA Press Release: Unemployment Insurance Weekly Claims Report

SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA In the week ending Oct. 31, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 512,000, a decrease of 20,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 532,000. The 4-week moving average was 523,750, a decrease of 3,000 from the previous week's revised average of 526,750.

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 4.4 percent for the week ending Oct. 24, unchanged from the prior week's unrevised rate of 4.4 percent.

November 5, 2009

Tyson Foods found in violation of Fair Labor Standards Act

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Tyson Foods Inc., one of the nation's largest poultry producers, has been found in violation of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) at its Blountsville, Ala., facility. The jury's verdict in federal court in Birmingham resulted from a lawsuit filed by the U.S. Department of Labor against the company.

November 4, 2009

US Labor Department announces release of $108.4 million in unemployment insurance modernization incentive funds to Massachusetts

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today certified for release $108,455,561 in unemployment insurance (UI) modernization incentive funds to the commonwealth of Massachusetts.

November 4, 2009

Employers jailed for failing to comply with court order to pay back wages to Southland cleaning service workers

SAN FRANCISCO — The owners of a Southland residential cleaning service were taken into custody and later released after failing to comply with a court order directing payment of $3.5 million in back wages, plus interest, fines and liquidated damages to at least 385 workers.

"It is unconscionable that an employer would continue to disregard the obligation to pay vulnerable workers, even after being ordered to do so by a federal judge," said Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis.

November 4, 2009

U.S. Labor Department obtains appointment of independent fiduciary for abandoned 401(k) plan of defunct Whitman, Massachusetts, company

Boston — The U.S. Department of Labor has obtained a federal court order appointing an independent fiduciary to manage the abandoned 401(k) plan of Autolines Inc., a company formerly located in Whitman, Massachusetts.

November 3, 2009

U.S. Department of Labor sues owner of defunct Kearneysville, West Virginia, corporation

Kearneysville, West Virginia – The U.S. Department of Labor has filed an adversary complaint in federal bankruptcy court against Sherry Hill, part owner of now defunct Stinger Sheet Metal, Inc., to prevent her from discharging an alleged debt of $63, 347 owed to the company’s SIMPLE IRA employee benefit plan.

November 2, 2009

US Labor Department announces grant exceeding $827,000 to assist workers affected by layoffs from electronics manufacturing industry in Massachusetts

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced an $827,616 grant to assist about 135 workers in the commonwealth of Massachusetts affected by the closure of Jabil Circuit Inc. in Billerica, Mass.

November 2, 2009

U.S. Labor Department obtains court judgment to restore more than $1.2 million to El Vocero de Puerto Rico union employee retirement plan

San Juan, Puerto Rico – Caribbean International News Corp. has been ordered by a federal court to restore more than $1.2 million to the El Vocero de Puerto Rico Union Employees Savings and Investment Plan, a retirement plan established for the benefit of the company’s unionized employees. The corporation does business as El Vocero de Puerto Rico, a newspaper based in San Juan.

October 30, 2009

US Department of Labors OSHA issues record-breaking fines to BP

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labors Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) today announced it is issuing $87,430,000 in proposed penalties to BP Products North America Inc. for the companys failure to correct potential hazards faced by employees. The fine is the largest in OSHAs history. The prior largest total penalty, $21 million, was issued in 2005, also against BP.

October 30, 2009

Statement of US Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis on this weeks immigration enforcement and workers rights report

WASHINGTON – U.S. Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis today issued the following statement regarding the AFL-CIO and American Rights at Work report ICED OUT: How Immigration Enforcement Has Interfered with Workers Rights.

"The Department of Labor is firmly committed to protecting the rights of all workers, and especially the rights of the most vulnerable workers in our economy.

"The violation of any one worker's rights is cause for concern to all American workers. When unscrupulous employers abuse vulnerable workers, honest employers and their workers suffer.

October 29, 2009

US Labor Secretary Hilda L. Solis responds to worker occupational injury and illness decline in BLS Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses

WASHINGTON – Today the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) announced that injury and illness rates among private industry employers are down from a total case rate of 4.2 in 2007 to 3.9 in 2008. BLS also reported a decline in non-fatal occupational injuries and illnesses from 4 million cases in 2007 to 3.7 million cases in 2008. Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis issued the following statement:

"Preventable workplace injuries and illnesses affect millions of American workers every year, many with lifelong effects.

October 29, 2009

US Department of Labor assistant secretary testifies before Congress on OSHA state plan states occupational safety and health programs

Federal OSHA to review all state plan programs

WASHINGTON – Jordan Barab, acting assistant secretary for the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), today told a Congressional committee that the serious shortcomings discovered during his agency's evaluation of the Nevada Occupational Safety and Health Administration's safety program raised concerns about federal OSHA's monitoring of all state plan states.

October 29, 2009

US Department of Labor certifies approximately 8,600 workers in 16 states as eligible to apply for Trade Adjustment Assistance

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced that approximately 8,600 workers from companies in 16 states – Arizona, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Michigan, Nebraska, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, West Virginia and Wisconsin – are eligible to apply for Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA).

October 29, 2009

ETA Press Release: Unemployment Insurance Weekly Claims Report

SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA In the week ending Oct. 24, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 530,000, a decrease of 1,000 from the previous week's unrevised figure of 531,000. The 4-week moving average was 526,250, a decrease of 6,000 from the previous week's unrevised average of 532,250.

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 4.4 percent for the week ending Oct. 17, a decrease of 0.1 percentage point from the prior week's unrevised rate of 4.5 percent.

October 28, 2009

US Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis announces $138 million for smart grid technology

Award will help increase electric reliability, create clean energy jobs

Las Vegas – U.S. Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis today announced the award of $138 million in federal funds to NV Energy for smart grid technology. Matching funds increase the value of this project to $298 million. These funds will help transition an electric distribution system to a smarter, more efficient and reliable electric system, and spur the creation of clean energy jobs across Nevada.

October 28, 2009

U.S. Labor Department bars Raymond Palombo from running federally-regulated health plans

San Francisco — The U.S. Department of Labor has obtained a court order permanently barring Raymond Palombo of Riverside, California, from serving in a fiduciary or service provider capacity to any employee benefit plan governed by the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA). Palombo and other defendants were sued by the department when they left thousands of workers and their families in Arizona, Georgia, Illinois, Texas and other states with unpaid health claims.

October 28, 2009

U.S. Labor Department recovers funds for abandoned 401(k) plan of Lexington, Massachusetts employer

Boston – The U.S. Department of Labor has obtained a consent judgment and order recovering more than $25,000 owed to the Benes Communications Inc. 401(k) Profit Sharing Plan. The plan was sponsored by the now defunct Michael Benes Communications Inc. of Lexington, Massachusetts, and was controlled by Robert Feige, who was the president, treasurer, secretary, director and majority owner of Benes Communications.

October 27, 2009

US Department of Labor announces grant exceeding $372,000 to assist workers in Maine affected by electronics industry layoffs

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced a $372,839 grant to assist about 65 workers affected by layoffs at General Electric Security Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of General Electric Co. in Pittsfield, Maine.

"Supporting workers who lose their jobs through no fault of their own is good for the economy and the right thing to do," said Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis. "This grant will provide the retraining and job search assistance necessary for affected workers in Maine to get a leg up in the current economic climate."

October 27, 2009

US Department of Labor announces $6 million grant to provide Kentucky workers with health insurance payments

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced a $6 million grant to provide an estimated 1,550 jobless workers in Kentucky with partial premium payments for health insurance coverage.

October 27, 2009

U.S. Department of Labor to host third webcast on preparing for 2009 Form 5500 and electronic filing requirements

Washington – The U.S. Department of Labor's Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) will host a free webcast November 5 to help employers, plan administrators and service providers prepare for changes to the Form 5500 and electronic filing requirement that begin with the 2009 plan year filings.