ALLENTOWN, PA – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), PA-OSHA Consultation Program, and HealthWorks’ Safety Peer Group – a consortium of Lehigh Valley area employers – have established an alliance to enhance workplace safety and health.

The alliance will focus on reducing and preventing exposure to ergonomic hazards, environmental health-care conditions, and chemical hazards. Alliance members will also emphasize injury and illness prevention programs and effective safety training.

DALLAS, TX – On Oct. 10, 2017, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), which had ceased most programmed enforcement actions following Hurricane Harvey, resumed normal enforcement throughout Texas and Louisiana.

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Senators Joe Manchin (D-WV) and Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) joined U.S. Secretary of Labor Alexander Acosta for a mine safety tour of ICG Beckley, LLC’s Pocahontas Beckley Mine in Raleigh County, West Virginia. Officials from the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA), which is an agency within the Department of Labor, also participated in the mine safety tour.

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Secretary of Labor Alexander Acosta issued the following statement today on the Trump Administration’s immigration policy priorities:

“Visa fraud and abuse hurts American workers and, at the same time, hurts foreign workers here legally under federal programs.  The U.S. Department of Labor is focused on combating fraud and abuse of Federal visa programs and is taking every available legal action against those who abuse these programs.  Stopping visa fraud and abuse must also be a priority for Congress.”

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Secretary of Labor Alexander Acosta issued the following statement on the September 2017 Employment Situation report:

“Even as parts of our nation recover from multiple devastating hurricanes, September’s jobs report reflects the resilience of the American economy.

In the week ending September 30, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 260,000, a decrease of 12,000 from the previous week's unrevised level of 272,000. The 4-week moving average was 268,250, a decrease of 9,500 from the previous week's unrevised average of 277,750.

WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Labor is celebrating National Disability Employment Awareness Month throughout October. The Department’s Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) previously announced the month-long theme is “Inclusion Drives Innovation.”

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Secretary of Labor Alexander Acosta will attend the G7 Labor and Employment Ministerial meeting taking place in Turin, Italy, today and tomorrow, Sept. 29 and 30.

In the week ending September 23, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 272,000, an increase of 12,000 from the previous week's revised level. The previous week's level was revised up by 1,000 from 259,000 to 260,000. The 4-week moving average was 277,750, an increase of 9,000 from the previous week's unrevised average of 268,750. This is the highest level for this average since February 6, 2016 when it was 277,750.

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Secretary of Labor Alexander Acosta issued the following statement on the President’s announcement on tax reform today:

“President Donald J. Trump’s tax reform framework is great news for Americans and American job creators. This plan will create a simpler and fairer tax system. American families will keep more of their hard-earned pay, and job creators will have more resources to invest in the American workforce.

WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has awarded $10.5 million in one-year federal safety and health training grants to 80 nonprofit organizations nationwide. The funding through the Susan Harwood Training Grants Program will provide education and training to help businesses and workers address workplace hazards and adopt best practices for avoiding workplace injuries.

CHICAGO, IL – A Chicago manufacturer of rigid metal, plastic, and hybrid containers faces $503,380 in proposed penalties after inspectors from the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) responded to four separate reports of workers suffering injuries at the facility.

SYRACUSE, NY – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration and TOMRA NY Recycling LLC have reached a stipulated settlement agreement to improve workplace safety requiring the company to institute enhanced safety measures to prevent employee exposure to blood or other infectious materials.

WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Labor, in cooperation with the state of Georgia and local partners, is setting aside funding, making grants to assess workforce needs, and providing additional regulatory flexibilities in response to Hurricane Irma. U.S. Secretary of Labor Alexander Acosta has directed the Department to assist the residents and businesses in affected areas, and the Department will continue to work cooperatively with Georgia to assess needs as they develop.

Labor Department activities to assist Georgia include:

PORTLAND, OR – A federal judge has entered a consent judgment ordering a Portland drywall company to pay $285,000 in back wages and liquidated damages to 82 employees for overtime violations after a U.S. Department of Labor investigation.

WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Labor today awarded $1,492,095 to support the recruitment, training, and retention of women in skilled occupations.

The Women in Apprenticeship and Nontraditional Occupations grant program funds community-based organizations that provide employers and labor unions with one or more of the following types of technical assistance:

WASHINGTON, DC – As with Hurricanes Irma and Harvey, the U.S. Department of Labor, in cooperation with the territories and local partners, is setting aside funding, making grants to assess workforce needs, and providing additional regulatory flexibilities in the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico in response to Hurricane Maria. U.S. Secretary of Labor Alexander Acosta has directed the Department to assist the residents and businesses in affected areas, and the Department will continue to work cooperatively with the territories to assess needs as they develop.

In the week ending September 16, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 259,000, a decrease of 23,000 from the previous week's revised level. The previous week's level was revised down by 2,000 from 284,000 to 282,000. The 4-week moving average was 268,750, an increase of 6,000 from the previous week's revised average. This is the highest level for this average since June 4, 2016 when it was 269,500. The previous week's average was revised down by 500 from 263,250 to 262,750.

WASHINGTON, DC – ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­ The U.S. Department of Labor today released an update of its annual child labor report – representing the most comprehensive research product to date on the state of child labor in over 130 countries worldwide. The Department simultaneously released a new mobile app, Comply Chain, designed to help businesses root out child labor and forced labor from global supply chains.

CARMEL, IN – An Indiana construction contractor has paid $103,788 in back wages to 29 employees working on a U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development project to renovate the Flagstone Village apartment complex in Hammond.