WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Secretary of Labor Eugene Scalia issued the following statement on the February 2020 Employment Situation report:

“February’s jobs report again far exceeded expectations with a surge of 273,000 jobs created. With an upward revision of 48,000 jobs in January, 6.9 million new jobs have been added since January 2017.

LOS ANGELES, CA – After an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) and the Office of Inspector General, a federal court has sentenced Anna Vishnevsky to 37 months in prison, and ordered her to make $2,747,071 in restitution for defrauding the healthcare benefit plans of UPS Inc. and Costco Wholesale Corp. 

RALEIGH, NC – After a U.S. Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division (WHD) investigation, SBHLP Inc. – a Lake Placid, Florida-based H-2A labor contractor that supplied workers for five North Carolina farms – is required to pay $224,249 in wages to 194 employees for violating requirements of the H-2A visa program. The department also assessed the employer a $239,430 civil penalty and debarred the labor contractor for 3 years.

WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Labor-Management Standards (OLMS) today announced a final rule to establish the “Form T-1” Trust Annual Report that requires unions to file annual financial reports concerning their trusts. These annual reports will increase the financial transparency of unions and ensure that members have access to information about their union’s financial transactions. The Federal Register will publish the final rule on March 6, 2020.

In the week ending February 29, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 216,000, a decrease of 3,000 from the previous week's unrevised level of 219,000. The 4-week moving average was 213,000, an increase of 3,250 from the previous week's unrevised average of 209,750.

BRAINTREE, MA – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has cited Dollar Tree Stores Inc. for exit, storage and fire hazards at a store in Boston, Massachusetts. The national discount retailer faces $523,745 in penalties.

ROCKVALE, TN – After an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division (WHD), Outdoors Unlimited Inc. – a landscaping company based in Rockvale, Tennessee – will pay $52,000 in back wages to 21 employees for violating labor provisions of the H-2B visa program. WHD also debarred the employer from participating in the H-2B temporary non-agricultural labor certification program for one year.

BOISE, IDAHO – After an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division (WHD), Cano Roofing Inc. – a construction company doing business as Signature Roofing in Eagle, Idaho – will pay $48,206 to 68 employees for violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act’s (FLSA) overtime requirements. WHD also assessed $5,526 in civil penalties to Cano Roofing Inc. for several child labor violations.

SULPHUR, LA – After an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division (WHD), Versa Integrity Group Inc. – based in Sulphur, Louisiana – has paid $495,901 in back wages to 411 employees for violating the overtime requirements of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). 

HOUSTON, TX – After an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division (WHD), D & V Painting Services – based in Houston, Texas – has paid $67,363 in back wages for violating the overtime requirements of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).

BETHLEHEM, PA– The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has cited Dollar Tree Stores Inc. for exit and storage hazards at a store located in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. The national discount retailer faces $296,861 in penalties.

WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) has released a Town Hall Action Plan based on insights and actionable recommendations derived from meetings hosted by the agency in 2019. Between Feb. 26, 2019 and Oct. 23, 2019, OFCCP hosted seven town hall meetings. These sessions allowed OFCCP to use feedback it received to review its compliance assistance efforts and identify ways to enhance contractors' understanding of their equal employment opportunity obligations.

WEST PALM BEACH, FL – After an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division (WHD), J & Brothers Electrical Corp. and Southern Integrated Systems LLC – two Florida-based residential and commercial electrical contractors, working on a federally funded project – have paid $175,413 in back wages and fringe benefits to 46 employees for violating the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), the Davis Bacon and Related Acts (DBRA) and the Contract Work Hours and Safety Standards Act (CWHSSA).

PITTSBURGH, PA – The U.S. Department of Labor has secured a $400,000 consent judgment for violations of the overtime and recordkeeping requirements of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) by Heart II Heart LLC – a company providing adult community residential rehabilitation homes for individuals with disabilities in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

MISSION, TX – After an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division (WHD), Mobile Diesel Services LLC – based in Mission, Texas – has paid $139,165 to 47 employees to resolve violations of the overtime requirements of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).

LITTLE ROCK, AR – After an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division (WHD), Bradford Marine Inc. – doing business as Bradford Marine & ATV headquartered in Little Rock, Arkansas – has paid $26,265 in back wages to 28 employees for violating the overtime requirements of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). 

BOISE, IDAHO – After an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division (WHD), Cano Roofing Inc. – a construction company doing business as Signature Roofing in Eagle, Idaho – will pay $48,206 to 68 employees for violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act’s (FLSA) overtime requirements. WHD also assessed $5,526 in civil penalties to Cano Roofing Inc. for several child labor violations.

ATLANTA, GA – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division (WHD) is currently engaged in an education and enforcement initiative to increase compliance with federal labor laws in the Southeast’s agricultural industry, educate stakeholders, employers and employees, and to provide employers with compliance assistance.

O’FALLON, MO ‒ The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has cited R&R Contracting Services Inc. after an employee suffered fatal injuries when he was crushed by a powered industrial truck at the company’s O’Fallon, Missouri, facility in September 2019. OSHA cited the portable restroom service provider for nine serious violations, and proposed penalties of $52,626.

FREMONT, NE ‒ The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has cited Interstate Commodities – based in Troy, New York – for grain handling violations after an employee was fatally engulfed in a grain bin at the company’s Fremont, Nebraska, facility in September 2019. The company faces $228,592 in penalties, and has been placed in OSHA’s Severe Violator Enforcement Program.