NEW YORK – Leaders from the U.S. Departments of Labor, Interior and Agriculture joined in New York City at the Outdoor Nation Youth Summit on June 20 to announce the launch of a $20 million federal grant opportunity and implementation of an initiative designed to help disadvantaged youth prepare for jobs in the outdoors. Through a national grant competition, funds will be awarded to enable ex-offenders ages 18 to 24 to give back to their communities through service and conservation work, while simultaneously acquiring solid employment skills.

Los Angeles – The U.S. Department of Labor has obtained a contempt order against Kenneth Owen, the former president of the now-defunct Torrance, Calif.-based telecommunications company Communications 2000, for failing to pay restitution required under a 2006 consent judgment for unremitted employee contributions to two employee benefits plans that were sponsored by Communications 2000, as well as plan administrative fees.

WASHINGTON – During a visit to Sasha Bruce Center, a YouthBuild site in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area, U.S. Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis today announced the release of two national grants in the amounts of $10 million each to serve at-risk youth.

ARLINGTON, Va. – The U.S. Department of Labor's Mine Safety and Health Administration today announced that an administrative law judge with the Federal Mine Safety and Health Review Commission ordered the temporary reinstatement of a miner who was discharged from his job within three weeks of complaining about hazardous workplace conditions. Ricky Lee Campbell, who worked as a shuttle car operator and bolter for several mines operated by Massey Energy Co., was fired April 23, 2010, after working less than three weeks at Marfork Coal Co.

SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA In the week ending June 12, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 472,000, an increase of 12,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 460,000. The 4-week moving average was 463,500, a decrease of 500 from the previous week's revised average of 464,000.

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 3.6 percent for the week ending June 5, an increase of 0.1 percentage point from the prior week's unrevised rate of 3.5 percent.

DETROIT – During a visit to Macomb Community College in Detroit, Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis today announced the release of $20,922,153 in Trade Adjustment Assistance reserve funds to the state of Michigan. She also announced three Regional Economic Impact National Emergency Grants totaling $19,016,800. The grants will serve to provide continued services for workers affected by documented layoffs from multiple companies in three defined regional economies throughout the state.

WASHINGTON — Judge William L. Osteen Jr. of the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina has accepted the North Carolina Growers Association's motion to terminate its challenge to the regulation governing the H-2A temporary agricultural worker labor certification program. The H-2A program permits agricultural employers to bring foreign workers into the U.S. on a temporary basis if domestic workers are not available and the use of foreign workers will not adversely affect the wages or working conditions of U.S. workers.

WASHINGTON – U.S. Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis today issued the following statement in response to the report "Weeding out Abuses: Recommendations for a Law-abiding Farm Labor System" co-authored by Farmworker Justice and Oxfam America:

"This report makes clear that farmworkers face a number of challenges and that for too long the federal government has not taken the steps necessary to empower and protect these workers. When I came into office, I immediately began to change the way the Department of Labor approaches farmworker issues.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced $14.7 million in health care career grants authorized by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. The four grantees are the American Association of Community Colleges, Goodwill Industries International, the International Association of Jewish Vocational Services and SER-Jobs for Progress National Inc. The grants will support projects designed to provide health care training and virtual service-delivery models (i.e., web-based services) to promote career opportunities in the health care sector.

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor today announced the implementation of tougher penalties against employers that illegally employ child workers.

"Protecting our youngest workers is one of this department's top priorities. Beginning today, employers who hire children too young to work will face stiffer penalties," said Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis. "Work is not child's play. When children do work, that work must be age appropriate, safe and positive, and, it must not interfere with their schooling."

house asset managers

Washington – The U.S Department of Labor's Employee Benefits Security Administration is proposing to amend Prohibited Transaction Exemption (PTE) 96-23. PTE 96-23 is a class exemption that allows in-house managers of large employee benefit plans to engage in a wide range of transactions with related parties.

Washington – The U.S. Department of Labor's Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) today announced an amendment to an existing class exemption that expands the category of assets that can be accepted as settlement of litigation between employee benefit plans and related parties.

WASHINGTON – U.S. Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis today announced during a press conference call the release of $7,820,193 in unemployment insurance modernization incentive funds to the state of Rhode Island. Rhode Island qualified for a portion of its share of the funds available under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act because its unemployment law contains provisions that allow workers to use recent earnings to qualify for benefits.

WASHINGTON – Raymond Jefferson, assistant secretary of the U.S. Department of Labor's Veterans' Employment and Training Service, today announced that 22 grants, totaling more than $9 million, are being awarded nationwide to provide thousands of veterans with green jobs training.

Fort Lauderdale, Florida – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Employee Benefits Security Administration is offering a free workshop for employee benefit plan professionals, including clients of plan service providers, on Thursday, June 24, at Nova Southeastern University, H. Wayne Huizenga School of Business and Entrepreneurship, Carl Desantis Building, 3301 College Avenue, Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced a total of $1.8 million in funding to six organizations in California, Illinois, Maryland, New York, Ohio and Pennsylvania as part of the Women in Apprenticeship and Non-traditional Occupations Grants program. The awards will support partnerships between the grantees and currently existing Registered Apprenticeship programs to ensure that women have training opportunities and career support to succeed in non-traditional occupations in growing sectors of the economy.

SEATTLE — An investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division has resulted in the payment of more than $4.2 million in back wages owed to 603 employees of Hermiston, Ore.-based EG&G Technical Services for work at the Umatilla Chemical Depot in Umatilla, Ore.

WASHINGTON – Jordan Barab, deputy assistant secretary for the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration, today testified before the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Subcommittee on Employment and Workplace Safety. His statement, as prepared, appears below.

WASHINGTON – In observance of the 47th anniversary of the Equal Pay Act, Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis today released the following statement:

"Forty-seven years ago today, President John F. Kennedy signed the Equal Pay Act into law. As he put pen to paper, women were being paid 59 cents for every dollar earned by men. That was almost half a century ago.

"Today, pay parity remains far from a reality for women. This is just unacceptable.

WASHINGTON – The federal on scene coordinator for the BP Deepwater Horizon response and the U.S. Department of Labors Occupational Safety and Health Administration today announced the signing of a memorandum of understanding concerning worker safety and health issues related to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill response in the Gulf of Mexico.