October 4, 2005

U.S. Labor Department Sues to Appoint Independent Trustee for Abandoned Buffalo, New York, Retirement Plan

Archived News Release — Caution: Information may be out of date.

Buffalo, New York - The U.S. Department of Labor filed suit asking the federal district court in Buffalo to appoint an independent trustee for the Geneva B. Scruggs Community Health Care Center of Buffalo’s abandoned retirement plan.

October 4, 2005

Health Law Compliance Assistance Seminar October 18-19 in Salem

Archived News Release — Caution: Information may be out of date.

Salem, Oregon - A health law compliance assistance seminar, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) and the Oregon Insurance Division, will take place October 18-19 in Salem at the Salem Conference Center.

October 4, 2005

Labor Department Sponsors Los Angeles Seminar October 20 On Retirement Savings Options

Archived News Release — Caution: Information may be out of date.

San Francisco, California - The U.S. Department of Labor’s Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) will hold a workshop October 20 at the New Otani Hotel & Garden, 120 S. Los Angeles Street, to help accountants and their small business clients understand retirement savings options and how to start and operate a retirement plan.

October 3, 2005

Health Law Compliance Seminar November 8 and 9 in Warwick, Rhode Island

Archived News Release — Caution: Information may be out of date.

Warwick, Rhode Island - A health law compliance assistance seminar, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) and the Rhode Island Insurance Division, will take place November 8-9 in Warwick at the Crowne Plaza Hotel.

October 1, 2005

U.S. Department of Labor Announces Minimum Wage Increase For Some American Samoa Industries

WASHINGTON—The U.S. Department of Labor today announced mandatory minimum wage rate increases for American Samoa. The rate increases will apply to all government employees and several of the covered private sector industries in the territory.

In June, the department appointed a six member committee to review local economic conditions and hear testimony from interested parties at a public meeting held in Pago Pago, American Samoa. The six-member committee was comprised of two members each representing the public sector, employers and employees.

September 29, 2005

U.S. Department of Labor Selects Human Service Agencies in Five States for Training/Technical Assistance for People with Disabilities

WASHINGTON—Human service agencies in Maryland, District of Columbia, Illinois, Georgia, and North Dakota have been selected to take part in training and technical assistance programs for people with disabilities, the U.S. Labor Department's Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) announced today.

September 29, 2005

Labor Department Obtains Appointment of Independent Fiduciary for Abandoned New York Retirement Plan

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

New York - The U.S. Department of Labor has obtained a federal court order appointing an independent fiduciary to manage the abandoned retirement plan of Lofek Construction Corporation, Newburgh, New York.

The company’s retirement plan, formally known as the National Benefit Retirement Plan and Trust, was abandoned when the company ceased operations in 1993 and the plan’s trustee died without naming a replacement to manage the plan.

September 29, 2005

Defunct Rochester, New York, Firm and Owner Agree To Payment of Delinquent Employee Contributions to 401(k) Plan

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

New York, New York - Project Solutions of Rochester Inc. and the owner of the defunct company, Earl Shepherd, agreed to repay $37,932.14 to the company’s 401(k) SIMPLE plan as restitution for employee contributions that were deducted from employees’ paychecks but never forwarded to the plan.

September 29, 2005

Labor Department Obtains Contempt Order Restoring More Than $205,000 to Bay Harbor Islands, Florida, Retirement Plans

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

Miami, Florida - A federal district court in Florida has ordered a Bay Harbor Islands dentist and the Morton Rosenbluth D.D.S. Professional Association to comply with a July 2004 judgment requiring them to make restitution to the retirement plans of the dental practice.

September 28, 2005

DisabilityInfo.Gov Wins Web Content Managers Best Practice Award

WASHINGTON—DisabilityInfo.gov, a one-stop Web site for disability-related information and resources, has received the Web Content Managers Best Practice Peer Award. The U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP), which manages DisabilityInfo.gov, accepted the award that honors the Web site's outstanding "citizen-focused online services.

September 28, 2005

U.S. Labor Department Extends Annual Reports Deadline After Hurricane Rita Hits Louisiana and Texas

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

Washington, DC - The U.S. Department of Labor’s Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) today announced an extension of the deadline for filing Form 5500 and Form 5500-EZ annual report/returns for employee benefits plans due to property damage and destruction from Hurricane Rita in Louisiana and Texas.

September 27, 2005

U.S. Labor Department Obtains Settlement with Perry, Michigan, Business Owner to Restore Assets to Workers’ 401(k) Plan

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

Detroit, Michigan - The U.S. Department of Labor has obtained a settlement restoring $17,657 in principal and interest to the 401(k) plan of Great Lakes Trucking Co. Inc., Perry, Michigan. The agreement also permanently bars the owner of the company from serving as a fiduciary or service provider to any employee benefit plan governed by the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA).

September 27, 2005

Fiduciaries Will Repay Haverhill, Massachusetts, Restaurant’s 401(k) Plan to Settle U.S. Labor Department Lawsuit

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

Boston, Massachusetts - R&B Foods Inc., Haverhill, Massachusetts, and its owner agreed to repay $31,527.38 to the company’s 401(k) plan for distribution to 12 plan participants to settle a lawsuit filed by the U.S. Department of Labor. The suit alleged misuse of plan assets under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA).

September 23, 2005

Labor Department Obtains Judgment Restoring Assets To Bloomington, Minnesota 401(k) Plan

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

Minneapolis, Minnesota - The U.S. Department of Labor has obtained a consent judgment requiring the trustee of the 401(k) plans of Minneapolis, Minnesota-based The Pelican Group Inc. to restore over $11,000 to the company’s savings and retirement plan. The suit seeks to recover any missing assets, appoint an independent fiduciary to oversee termination of the plan and distribute plan assets to eligible participants.

September 20, 2005

U.S. Labor Department Extends Annual Reports Deadline After Hurricane Katrina Hits Florida

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

Washington, DC - The U.S. Department of Labor’s Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) today announced an extension of the deadline for filing Form 5500 and Form 5500 EZ annual report/returns due to property damage and destruction from Hurricane Katrina in Florida.

September 20, 2005

U.S. Labor Department Extends Time and Areas Covered by Reporting Relief for Areas Hit by Hurricane Katrina

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

Washington, DC - The U.S. Department of Labor’s Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) today announced additional time has been granted to January 3, 2006, for filing deadline of Form 5500 and Form 5500 EZ annual report/returns for employee benefit plans affected by Hurricane Katrina.

September 19, 2005

U. S. Labor Department Helps Hurricane Katrina Victims Preserve Health Benefits

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

WASHINGTON—The U.S. Department of Labor's Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA), in conjunction with the Internal Revenue Service, announced an extension of a number of deadlines related to health plan coverage, giving workers and employers affected by Hurricane Katrina additional time to make critical decisions regarding health coverage. 

September 15, 2005

U.S. Labor Department Action Helps Hurricane Victims [0

WASHINGTON—Today the U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Labor - Management Standards (OLMS) issued guidance for unions in the areas affected by Hurricane Katrina regarding the reporting requirements under Section 201 of the Labor-Management Reporting and Disclosure Act of 1959 (LMRDA).

September 15, 2005

U.S. Labor Department Action Helps Hurricane Victims Access 401(k) Plans

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

Washington, DC - Today the U.S. Department of Labor’s Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA), along with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), announced guidance for employers and plan officials to help victims of Hurricane Katrina obtain distributions and loans through 401(k) and similar employer-sponsored plans.

September 14, 2005

Labor Department Action Secures Distribution of 401(k) Benefits to Abandoned Piscataway Plan Participants

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

Piscataway, New Jersey - Jacqueline M. Carmichael has been appointed independent fiduciary of the NP LLC 401(k) plan to distribute benefits to plan participants, according to a court order obtained by the U.S. Department of Labor.

The action comes as a result of a suit filed by the U.S. Department of Labor alleging that plan trustees John Brewer and Dr. B. Gopinath abandoned the plan after Network Programs LLC declared bankruptcy in 1999.