WASHINGTON – Acting Secretary of Labor Julie Su issued the following statement on findings from the USDA on worker safety in poultry and swine plants:

“The findings in USDA’s report on worker safety in poultry and swine plants show that injuries, including chronic pain and musculoskeletal disorders are too common. These kinds of injuries often go unreported. 

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced the availability of at least $25 million in grants to support training and employment services for incarcerated individuals before and after their release from state, county or local correctional facilities. By providing reentry services during incarceration and after release, these grants will help improve employment outcomes in the reentry process and reduce recidivism.

WICHITA, KS – The U.S. Department of Labor filed a federal lawsuit on Jan. 6, 2025, as part of its ongoing effort to recover wages and damages for 80 female entertainers of a Wichita gentlemen’s club that allegedly failed to pay full wages, illegally deducted fees from their tips and required them to reimburse the employer if litigation or an investigation ever recovered lost wages for the dancers.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. and Mexican governments have announced the successful resolution to a Rapid Response Labor Mechanism petition that alleged workers’ rights were denied at Vidrio Decorativo Occidental, a Tamaulipas, Mexico, glass door manufacturer. 

The result follows a Nov. 8, 2024, request by the U.S. for Mexico to review the VDO case under the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement’s Rapid Response Labor Mechanism. 

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today released the results of its Mine Safety and Health Administration’s second Pattern of Violations screening in 2024 and announced that – for the first time since 2021 – none of the nation’s mines met the POV criteria for the existence of a pattern of violations under section 104(e) of the Mine Act. 

WASHINGTON – Acting Secretary of Labor Julie Su issued the following statement on the December 2024 Employment Situation report:

“Today, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that the American economy added 256,000 jobs in December, well above market expectations and reflecting a robust and resilient labor market. With unemployment ticking down to 4.1 percent and the three-month average of payroll employment gains at 170,000, this report underscores the strength of our economy as we close out 2024. 

WASHINGTON – Acting Secretary of Labor Julie Su issued the following statement on the tentative agreement reached between the International Longshoremen's Association and the United States Maritime Alliance.

WASHINGTON – The U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement’s Interagency Labor Committee for Monitoring and Enforcement today requested that the government of Mexico review an alleged denial of workers’ rights at Hulera Tornel S.A. de C.V., which runs tire manufacturing facilities in Mexico City and Tultitlán, Mexico.

SAN DIEGO – Seventy employees of two California ice manufacturers will receive their share of more than $1 million in back wages and damages recovered by the U.S. Department of Labor after investigators determined the companies’ common ownership withheld $527,687 in overtime earned by workers deliberately. 

In the week ending January 4, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 201,000, a decrease of 10,000 from the previous week's unrevised level of 211,000. The 4-week moving average was 213,000, a decrease of 10,250 from the previous week's unrevised average of 223,250.

RIDGE SPRING, SC – More than 600 temporary agricultural workers are entitled to their share of more than $132,000 recovered by the U.S. Department of Labor from a Ridge Spring employer that illegally deducted money from their wages for political donations and cleaning fees.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced the award of $1.6 million in funds to support continued disaster-relief employment and workforce training for Florida residents as the state continues its Hurricane Idalia recovery.

HARTFORD, CT – The U.S. Department of Labor has reached an administrative settlement with Rhode Island’s second largest hospital and Care New England Health System to recover a total of $1.9 million in back wages and liquidated damages for 853 healthcare workers who had to work through their breaks but were not paid properly for those hours worked during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced the award of $627,124 to the Washington State Employment Security Department to continue providing disaster-relief jobs and employment and training services for people in southwest Washington communities affected significantly by the health and economic effects of widespread opioid use, addiction and overdose. 

In the week ending December 28, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 211,000, a decrease of 9,000 from the previous week's revised level. The previous week's level was revised up by 1,000 from 219,000 to 220,000. The 4-week moving average was 223,250, a decrease of 3,500 from the previous week's revised average. The previous week's average was revised up by 250 from 226,500 to 226,750.

ZION, IL – Federal inspectors have again cited a Zion contractor with an extensive history of endangering workers by exposing them to fall hazards. The latest violations were discovered when employees were found roofing a residential structure without required fall protections – marking the second such incident in six months and the fifth in two years.

Date of action:                       Dec. 10, 2024

Type of action:                      Sentencing

SACRAMENTO, CA – A recent series of U.S. Department of Labor investigations shows a substantial increase in the number of care industry employers in California who are exploiting workers by underpaying them deliberately in violation of federal regulations.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced the award of $65 million in grants to 18 colleges in 14 states to support programs that help community colleges scale affordable, high-quality workforce training to meet employers’ and workers’ skill development needs in critical industry sectors, such as advanced manufacturing, clean energy, semiconductors and biotechnology. 

LELAND, NC – A U.S. Department of Labor investigation into the drowning of a 27-year-old heavy equipment operator at a Leland worksite found the employer could have prevented the fatal incident by following established safety regulations.