Archived News Release — Caution: Information may be out of date.

Pierre, South Dakota - A free compliance assistance seminar focusing on laws that cover health benefits will take place October 18 and 19 in Pierre, South Dakota, at Kings Inn Hotel & Conference Center. The seminar is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) and the South Dakota Division of Insurance.

WASHINGTON — U.S. Labor Secretary Elaine L. Chao has announced a grant of $500,000 to Syracuse University's Burton Blatt Institute: Centers of Innovation on Disability, to lead a national research consortium to study employer practices in employing, retaining and promoting people with disabilities.

Archived News Release — Caution: Information may be out of date.

Washington, DC - The U.S. Department of Labor released the final report of the 2006 National Summit on Retirement Savings. The report, entitled Saving for Your Golden Years: Trends, Challenges and Opportunities, represents the work of 200 summit delegates appointed by the president and congressional leaders.

Archived News Release — Caution: Information may be out of date.

Archived News Release — Caution: Information may be out of date.

Columbus, Ohio - The U.S. Department of Labor has sued Team America Corporation, Columbus, Ohio and three individuals who served as fiduciaries to the company’s retirement savings, health and disability programs for failing to forward employee and employer contributions to the plans and to segregate plan contributions from the general operating assets of the company.

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West Middlesex, Pennsylvania - The U.S Labor Department has sued Coast to Coast Home Equity Corp. to obtain appointment of an independent fiduciary to distribute the assets of the company’s 401(k) plan to plan participants. The defunct West Middlesex, Pennsylvania company is currently in bankruptcy and ceased operations in May 2004.

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Philadelphia, Pennsylvania - The U.S. Department of Labor sued Javis Automation & Engineering, Inc., Dumfries, Virginia, and its president, John W. Long, Sr., for failure to remit contributions deducted from employees’ paychecks to the company’s 401(k) profit sharing plan.

Archived News Release — Caution: Information may be out of date.

Covington, Kentucky - The U.S. Department of Labor has obtained a consent judgment requiring Mitchell Molding Company Inc., Hebron, Kentucky, and its bankrupt former owner to restore delinquent employee contributions to the company’s 401(k) plan.

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Burlington, New Jersey - The U.S. Labor Department sued Russell Johnson and Shellene Barker, trustees of the Johnson Specialized Transportation, Inc. 401(k) Plan, for allegedly failing to forward more than $36,000 in employee and matching employer plan contributions plus lost opportunity costs to the plan.

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Washington, DC - The U.S. Department of Labor’s Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) today announced publication of a “request for information” (RFI) to assist the department in updating its guidance on the independence of accountants who audit employee benefit plans. The RFI is to be published in the September 11, 2006 Federal Register.

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Sherburn, Minnesota - The U.S. Department of Labor has sued the officers of D&J Transfer Company, Sherburn, Minnesota, for failing to administer and terminate the company’s employee retirement plan so that assets could be distributed to plan participants.

Archived News Release — Caution: Information may be out of date.

Washington - The U.S. Department of Labor today released the final report of the 2006 National Summit on Retirement Savings. The report, entitled “Saving for Your Golden Years: Trends, Challenges and Opportunities,” represents the work of 200 summit delegates appointed by the president and congressional leaders.

Archived News Release — Caution: Information may be out of date.

Washington, DC - The U.S. Department of Labor today announced an agreement with the estate of Kenneth L. Lay granting a $12 million claim against his estate on behalf of participants covered by Enron's pension plans. Lay died on July 5, 2006. This proposed settlement must be formally documented and submitted for approval to the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas.

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Denver, Colorado - The former owners of Vancol Industries Inc. of Denver must pay more than $150,000 to the company’s profit sharing plan as restitution for improper loans made from the plan to the company’s owners, plan participants and affiliated companies, according to a consent judgment obtained by the U.S. Department of Labor.

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San Francisco, California - The U.S. Department of Labor has sued John S. and Louise S. Villa, the owners of Villa Automotive and Villa Service Center of San Luis Obispo, California, for failing to forward employee contributions to the Villa Automotive 401(k) employee pension benefit plan. The defendants are the trustees of the 401(k) plan.

Report Required Under the Trade and Development Act

WASHINGTON — The Labor Department today released its fifth annual report on the worst forms of child labor in 137 countries and territories that receive U.S. trade benefits.

WASHINGTON — Preparing America's youth, including those with disabilities, for today's job market is an important task. Unfortunately, workforce development professionals have not always had access to the proper training they need to help youth to succeed. But in the 21st century, that is changing thanks to innovations funded by the U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP).

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Washington, DC - The U.S. Department of Labor’s Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) today announced the release of a request-for-proposal (RFP) to support a new mandate on electronic filing of the Form 5500 Series reports required by the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA). The RFP was published online by Federal Business Opportunities on September 1, 2006.

Archived News Release — Caution: Information may be out of date.

Lexington, Kentucky - The U.S. Department of Labor has sued the former owner of the Pearce-Phelps Roofing Co., Lexington, Kentucky, to recover delayed and missing employee contributions plus any lost earnings for the company’s SIMPLE IRA employee benefit plan.

HOUSTON — The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has sued Benitez Drywall LLC, a Houston-based drywall company, and its owners for alleged violations of the overtime and recordkeeping provisions of the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). The complaint was filed in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas, Houston Division following an investigation by the department's Wage and Hour Division (WHD). Back wages are expected to exceed $500,000 for more than 500 construction workers.