March 28, 2024

Unemployment Insurance Weekly Claims Report

In the week ending March 23, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 210,000, a decrease of 2,000 from the previous week's revised level. The previous week's level was revised up by 2,000 from 210,000 to 212,000. The 4-week moving average was 211,000, a decrease of 750 from the previous week's revised average. The previous week's average was revised up by 500 from 211,250 to 211,750.

March 27, 2024

Department of Labor holds PrimeLending vice president, managers liable after employees fired for reporting consumer fraud concerns

SAN FRANCISCO ‒ The U.S. Department of Labor has ordered a former senior vice president and two managers employed by PrimeLending to pay $35,000 in emotional damages and the legal fees of two California employees who the company fired illegally after they reported a branch manager pressured them to pass on fees to loan applicants caused by the company’s internal processing delays. 

March 27, 2024

El Departamento de Trabajo recupera casi $100K en salarios, daños y perjuicios para 31 trabajadores de construcción en Oklahoma

Nombre de la empresa:                    Future Inc.

Lugares de la investigación:           10216 Oak Dr.

March 27, 2024

Department of Labor recovers nearly $100K in wages, damages for 31 misclassified Oklahoma construction workers

Employer name:                      Future Inc.

Investigation sites:               10216 Oak Dr

                                                        Newalla, OK 74857

March 27, 2024

Court orders Minnesota carnival operators to pay $146K in back wages to temporary foreign workers denied wages, $63K in civil money penalties

Employers:    GoldStar Amusements Inc., owner Michael Featherston, Fairbault, Minnesota

                         Lee’s Concessions Inc., owner Connie Featherston, Fairbault, Minnesota          

Action:           U.S. Department of Labor Administrative Law Judge decision

Court:             U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Administrative Law Judges, Cincinnati, Ohio

March 26, 2024

US Department of Labor awards $175K to continue support of temporary employment, assistance in Mississippi after severe storms, tornadoes

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced the incremental award of $175,000 to the Mississippi Department of Employment Security to support continued disaster-relief employment for residents as the state continues to recover after severe storms, straight-line winds and tornadoes killed 21 people and ravaged towns in March 2023.

March 26, 2024

US Department of Labor investigation of employee’s severe injuries finds Ohio manufacturer failed to correct similar hazards cited in 2022

SHELBY, OH ‒ Despite citations from the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration for similar hazards at its Shelby facility in 2022, ArcelorMittal Tubular Products USA LLC — a subsidiary of one of North America’s largest steel suppliers — failed to protect a 60-year-old employee from severe injuries after they became caught in a pinch point created by a bundle of steel tubes and a rotating roller conveyor in December 2023.

March 26, 2024

Federal court forbids Framingham restaurants, owner from threatening workers during US Department of Labor investigation, litigation

BOSTON  The U.S. Department of Labor has obtained a consent preliminary injunction and order in federal court forbidding a Framingham restaurant and its owner from threatening or retaliating against employees and interfering with the department’s ongoing litigation.

March 26, 2024

US Department of Labor investigation finds HBD/Thermoid again exposed employees to unsafe conditions, proposes additional $321K in penalties

BELLEFONTAINE, OH ‒ In October 2023, following the receipt of a complaint, U.S. Department of Labor Occupational Safety and Health Administration inspectors opened an inspection at an Ohio industrial hose manufacturer’s Bellefontaine plant. This was OSHA’s eighth investigation into HBD Thermoid Inc. since 2013. 

March 25, 2024

Investigation recovers $560K for workers denied full wages, benefits by District of Columbia behavioral health department’s group homes provider

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor has recovered more than $560,000 after its investigation found an operator of group homes deprived 34 workers in the District of Columbia-area of their full wages and fringe benefits.

March 25, 2024

US Department of Labor recovers more than $140K in back wages, damages for 118 home healthcare workers employed by two Louisiana companies 

NEW ORLEANS  Among the nation’s lowest paid workers, home healthcare employees are asked to work long hours routinely to provide help to people in need. Too often, these workers are shortchanged by employers’ unfair pay practices as was the case for 118 employees of two North Louisiana home healthcare providers, Twin City Home Care Services in Monroe and Divine Services LLC in Minden. 

March 25, 2024

US Department of Labor awards more than $2.9M for continued support of clean-up, recovery after Northern California’s 2021 wildfires

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced the incremental award of more than $2.9 million to California to continue supporting disaster-relief employment and employment and training services for residents as the state continues to recover from the wildfires that devastated several Northern California communities between July and October 2021.

March 25, 2024

Department of Labor announces findings of February 2024 impact inspections completed at 13 mines with histories of repeated safety, health violations

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor announced today that its Mine Safety and Health Administration completed impact inspections at 13 mines in nine states in February 2024, identifying 207 violations.

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

March 25, 2024

US Department of Labor to open online portal April 1 for federal contractors, subcontractors to certify affirmative action program compliance

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced its Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs will begin accepting online submissions on April 1 from covered contractors to certify they have developed and maintained affirmative action programs for each establishment or functional unit.

March 25, 2024

US Department of Labor requires Tennessee parts manufacturer to turn over profits from oppressive child labor use, compensate victims

GREENVILLE, TN – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of the Solicitor has obtained a federal consent judgment that requires a Morristown manufacturer of outdoor power equipment components for major companies including John Deere, Toro and Yamaha to stop employing children illegally and to follow federal child labor laws in the future. 

March 21, 2024

US Department of Labor finds Alabama forklift parts manufacturer could have prevented 38-year-old foundry worker’s fatal injuries

CULLMAN, AL – A 38-year-old worker at a Cullman manufacturing plant suffered fatal injuries after getting caught inside a molding machine, a fatality the employer could have prevented by following established safety rules, a U.S. Department of Labor workplace safety investigation found.

March 21, 2024

US Department of Labor files complaint after investigation finds $963K in back wages, damages for 29 employees denied overtime by tree service

Employers:    Red Oak Tree Service Inc., Crystal Lake, Illinois

                        Humberto Gonzalez, owner

                        

Action:           U.S. Department of Labor complaint filing

 

Court:             U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, Western Division (Rockford)

March 21, 2024

El Departamento de Trabajo de EE. UU. impuso multa a franquiciado de Baskin Robbins en Utah por violar ley federal de trabajo infantil

Nombre del empleador:        JODE LLC, que opera como Baskin Robbins 

Lugares de investigación:     51 Northwest State St., American Fork, UT 84003

                                                            530 S. Main St., Bountiful, UT 84010

                                                            435 State, St., Clearfield, UT 84015

March 21, 2024

US Department of Labor fines Utah Baskin Robbins franchisee for violating federal child labor law at 8 locations

Employer name:        JODE LLC, operating as Baskin Robbins 

Investigation sites:   51 Northwest State St., American Fork, UT 84003

                                             530 S. Main St., Bountiful, UT 84010

                                             435 State, St., Clearfield, UT 84015

                                            1088 E Gentile St., Layton, UT 84041

March 21, 2024

New York roofing company withdraws contest notice after vigorous litigation by Department of Labor, affirming egregious willful citations, $687K fine

HO-HO-KUS, NJ – Vigorous litigation by the U.S. Department of Labor has convinced a New York roofing company to stop contesting the egregious willful and other citations it received and the $687,536 penalty assessed after a 2022 workplace safety investigation at a Ho-Ho-Kus worksite.