SELMA, AL – U.S. Department of Labor safety investigators found a Selma brick manufacturer exposed workers to silica crystalline respiratory hazards that have the potential to lead to lung cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and kidney disease. 

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor announced today that its Mine Safety and Health Administration completed impact inspections at 15 mines in 10 states in January 2024, issuing 188 violations.

The agency began conducting impact inspections after an April 2010 explosion in West Virginia at the Upper Big Branch Mine killed 29 miners. 

Date of action:           Feb. 8, 2024

Type of action:          Motion for default judgment issued by the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania. The action follows a complaint and motion filed by the U.S. Department of Labor in November 2022.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Employment and Training Brent Parton is visiting Japan Feb. 20-24 to facilitate technical exchanges on workforce strategies for advanced manufacturing and the semiconductor sub-sector in the two nations. 

Date of action:                       Feb. 13, 2024

 Type of action:                      Summary decision

 Names of defendants:           Zoom Flume Water Park LLC (in East Durham, New York)

Empleador:    EAS Homes LLC

                        9012 Timber St.

                        Charleston, SC 29406

NORFOLK, VA – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division has recovered nearly $900,000 in back wages and damages after its investigation found a Norfolk home care employer denied 108 workers their hard-earned overtime pay. 

PHENIX CITY, AL – A federal investigation into an August 2023 horrific fatal incident at a Phenix City sawmill revealed, for the second time in three years, that the employer could have prevented a tragedy by following required safety rules. 

WHO:         U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division 

                      Office of the Attorney General of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

WHAT: A five-year memorandum of understanding signed on February 21 that establishes a formal partnership with these agencies.

COLUMBUS, GA – Six days after opening a complaint inspection at a Columbus auto parts manufacturer in August 2023, federal safety investigators learned that a 41-year-old maintenance technician at the site endured severe injuries from an electrical transformer explosion and opened a second investigation. 

Employer:     Matryoshka LLC, operating as Matryoshka Deli Food

                       18100 Collins Ave. 

                        North Miami Beach, FL 33160

In the week ending February 17, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 201,000, a decrease of 12,000 from the previous week's revised level. The previous week's level was revised up by 1,000 from 212,000 to 213,000. The 4-week moving average was 215,250, a decrease of 3,500 from the previous week's revised average. The previous week's average was revised up by 250 from 218,500 to 218,750

Employer:      EAS Homes LLC

                        9012 Timber St.

                        Charleston, SC 29406

Employer:      R&I Corp., operating as Mura Ichiban Restaurant and Nam Dae Moon Restaurant

                            PMB 303 Box 10003

Who:               U.S. Department of Labor

What:             2024 Virtual Agricultural Seminar

When:             March 28, 2024, 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. CST

Where:           Online event. Register to attend.

OKLAHOMA CITY –The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration has cited an aeronautical parts manufacturer for exposing workers to nearly two dozen safety hazards following a complaint about a lax safety environment at the company’s plant in Catoosa. 

OSHA cited LMI Finishing Inc. – operating as Sonaca North America – for 23 serious violations of OSHA safety standards related to confined spaces, fall hazards and blocked exit routes.

OSHA inspectors found the employer did not: 

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced the availability of nearly $200 million in grants to continue to support public-private partnerships that expand, diversify and strengthen Registered Apprenticeship. The funding opportunity includes $95 million of competitive grants through the second round of the Apprenticeship Building America Grant Program and $100 million in the second round of State Apprenticeship Expansion Formula Grants.

GREENBELT, MD – The U.S. Department of Labor today filed suit in the U.S. District Court for the Southern Division of the District of Maryland against a company that allegedly mismanaged fringe benefits owed to employees working for at least 54 government service contractors across the United States. 

Employer name:        Covington-AMG Rehabilitation Hospital LLC, doing business as AMG Physical

                                            Rehab

Investigation site:     5025 Keystone Blvd. 

                                            Covington, LA 70433                                                                                                      

SIOUX CITY, IA – The U.S. Department of Labor today asked a federal court to issue a nationwide temporary restraining order and injunction against Fayette Janitorial Service LLC – operating as Fayette Industrial – to stop the Tennessee-based company from illegally employing children while the department continues its investigations of the company’s labor practices.