WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division has recovered nearly $1.5 million in back wages for approximately 2,600 workers who cleaned up and renovated the U.S. naval facilities in Gulfport, Miss., and Belle Chasse, La., following Hurricane Katrina.

WASHINGTON — Paul DeCamp, administrator for the U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division, which is responsible for enforcing the child labor provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act, today released the following statement regarding passage of the Child Labor Protection Act of 2007, H.R. 2637, by the U.S. House of Representatives:

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor today announced a plan to reduce delinquent reporting among labor unions that are required to submit annual financial disclosure forms to the department. Every labor organization representing private sector employees is required to file a report with the department within 90 days of the end of its fiscal year, or further enforcement action will then be pursued. Each year, however, 30 to 40 percent of unions fail to submit their reports on time, and in some instances reports remain outstanding for over one year.

BOSTON — Patni Computer Systems Inc. of Cambridge, Mass., has agreed to pay more than $2.4 million to 607 non-immigrant workers following an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor.

An investigation by the department's Wage and Hour Division found that computer professionals employed under the H-1B visa program by Patni were not paid required wages for the period between January 2004 and December 2005.

Employers learn about wide range of issues in post-Hurricane Katrina contex

NEW ORLEANS — Employers large and small today are participating in the U.S. Department of Labor's first-ever New Orleans area Employer Forum to learn more, in the post-Hurricane Katrina environment, about wages, pension protection, job safety, affirmative action, veterans' re-employment rights, and family and medical leave laws. The forum is taking place at the University of New Orleans' Lindy C. Boggs International Convention Center.

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor has announced finalization of an important interagency agreement with the National Institutes of Health's (NIH) National Library of Medicine that expedites evaluation of toxic substance, chemical and disease profiles for faster publication in Haz-Map, a major Internet-hosted occupational disease database.

HOUSTON — The Mudlogging Company USA in Houston has paid $1,151,232 in back wages to 233 employees following a U.S. Department of Labor investigation finding that the company violated the overtime wage provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).

"The department recovered more than $1.1 million in back pay and a commitment that workers will be properly compensated for overtime in the future," said Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao.

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division has unveiled a new elaws advisor — the FLSA Overtime Calculator — to help employers and workers understand and calculate overtime pay. The calculator can be accessed at www.dol.gov/elaws/otcalculator.htm.

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor published today a proposal to update the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) regulations governing the employment of teenage workers, a measure that will improve protections for the nation's young workforce.

NEW YORK — Chestnut Petroleum Dist. Inc., with 37 gas station/convenience store locations throughout the Hudson Valley; Brooklyn and Long Island, N.Y.; and New Jersey and Connecticut, has agreed to pay 767 employees a total of $900,000 in back wages — plus a $100,000 penalty to the federal government — to resolve a U.S. Department of Labor lawsuit alleging violations of the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).

Site Exposure Matrices database will help eligible claimants obtain benefits

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor today announced public availability of a database to provide information on toxic substance and chemical exposure at facilities covered under Part E of the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act.

HOUSTON — ABC Professional Tree Services Inc. in Houston has agreed to pay $1,801,507 in back wages, after an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division found that 2,501 current and former employees working in 16 states were not properly paid. The investigation, covering the two-year period Aug. 7, 2004 to Aug. 6, 2006, determined that ABC Professional Tree Services violated the overtime provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor today announced enhanced services at its Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program (EEOICP) resource centers to assist atomic weapons industry workers and their families in filing claims under the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act (EEOICPA).

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor announced today that Wal-Mart Stores Inc. will pay over $33 million in back wages to resolve issues that arose under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) concerning how the company computed overtime pay. The agreement covers 86,680 employees who worked for the company from Feb. 1, 2002 to Jan. 19, 2007.

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Labor-Management Standards (OLMS) today released its FY 2006 Annual Report. The report highlights the fiscal year success of the agency and the importance of its role in supporting America's workforce through its enforcement of the Labor-Management Reporting and Disclosure Act (LMRDA).

NEDERLAND, Texas — The U.S. Department of Labor has sued Rife Industrial Marine for alleged violations of the overtime and recordkeeping provisions of the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), after an investigation by the department's Wage and Hour Division found that welders working offshore had been improperly classified as independent contractors.

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor announced today that it is seeking information and comment from the public on the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) and its implementing regulations. The request for information (RFI) will be published in the Federal Register on Friday, Dec. 1.

WASHINGTON — For their efforts to promote equal employment opportunity, six companies and organizations were recognized today by the U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) at an annual awards ceremony hosted by Labor Secretary Elaine L. Chao.

SHARE has significantly reduced total injuries, illnesses and fatalities

WASHINGTON — President George W. Bush has extended for three years the federal government's initiative to reduce occupational injuries, illnesses, and fatalities within its ranks.

Two Sub-Contractors of RSIG Inc. Owe more than $663,000 in Back Wages

DETROIT — Two sub-contractors of RSIG Inc. a Southfield, Mich., security company, have agreed to pay $663,813 in overtime back wages to 716 Detroit area security guards following investigations by the U.S. Labor Department's Wage and Hour Division.