BRAINTREE, MA – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), Massachusetts Division of Occupational Safety (DOS), YouthBuild Boston, Madison Park Technical Vocational High School, and New England Carpenters Training Fund are partnering to promote the 2019 National Safety Stand-Down to Prevent Falls in Construction. The Stand-Down event will be held at the site of an affordable housing construction project in Hyde Park, Massachusetts.

BRAINTREE, MA – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and Consigli Construction are partnering to promote the 2019 National Safety Stand-Down to Prevent Falls in Construction. The Stand-Down event will be held at 9:00 a.m. on Monday, May 6, 2019, at Blue Hills Regional High School construction renovation and upgrade project, 800 Randolph Street, in Canton, Massachusetts.

BATON ROUGE, LA – After investigations by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division (WHD), the owners and operators of a family of 11 restaurants with common ownership in Louisiana have paid $230,877 in back wages and an equal amount in liquidated damages to 141 employees for violating the Fair Labor Standards Act’s (FLSA) minimum wage, overtime, and recordkeeping requirements.

In the week ending April 27, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 230,000, unchanged from the previous week's unrevised level of 230,000. The 4-week moving average was 212,500, an increase of 6,500 from the previous week's unrevised average of 206,000.

WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced a new Job Corps demonstration project to provide at-risk youth with job skills instruction, educational opportunities, and individualized employment counseling through the establishment of the Job Corps Scholars Program. 

FORT WORTH, TX – The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has cited Molding Acquisition Corp. - operating as Rotoplas - for failing to protect employees from serious safety hazards at its location in Fort Worth, Texas. The company faces $281,108 in fines.

WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced Cheryl Marie Stanton was sworn-in as the Administrator of the Department's Wage and Hour Division.

"I welcome and congratulate Cheryl Stanton as she officially assumes the position of Administrator of the Wage and Hour Division," said U.S. Secretary of Labor Alexander Acosta. "Cheryl brings with her a distinguished career including prior public service as Executive Director of the South Carolina Department of Employment and Workforce."

WASHINGTON, DC - The U.S. Department of Labor today released a policy statement regarding Association Health Plans (AHPs). The Department disagrees with the district court's ruling in The State of New York v. United States Department of Labor. The U.S. Department of Justice filed an appeal on April 26, 2019. 

MANCHESTER, NH – After an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division (WHD), The Spot LLC – owner of two Burlington, Vermont, restaurants – has paid $55,546 in back wages and an equal amount in liquidated damages to 91 current and former employees to resolve overtime violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). The employer also paid $2,360 in penalties for child labor violations.

WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Labor announced today that it has issued a new opinion letter that addresses compliance issues related to the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). An opinion letter is an official, written opinion by the Department's Wage and Hour Division (WHD) on how a particular law applies in specific circumstances presented by the individual person or entity that requested the letter.

The opinion letter issued today is:

LONGWOOD, FL – After an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division (WHD), Competitive Edge Group Inc. – operating as Competitive Edge Landscaping and based in Longwood, Florida – will pay $44,280 in back wages to 75 employees for violating the overtime and recordkeeping requirements of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).

DURHAM, NC – After an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division (WHD), five Subway fast food franchise locations in North Carolina – owned and operated by Mahmoud Alkurdasi and Hala M. Saleh – have paid $13,970 in back wages to 150 employees for violating the minimum wage, overtime, and recordkeeping requirements of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).

MANCHESTER, NH – After an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division (WHD), Nordic Construction Services LLC – based in Berlin, New Hampshire – has paid $38,678 in back wages and an equal amount in liquidated damages to 45 employees to resolve overtime and record keeping violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).

LUBBOCK, TX – In a settlement with the U.S. Department of Labor, Allegiance Behavioral Health Center of Plainview doing business as Inspirations, a subsidiary of Allegiance Health Management Inc. based in Shreveport, Louisiana, will pay $22,000 in back wages and compensatory and liquidated damages to a former employee for violating the anti-retaliation provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).

CHICAGO, IL – The U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Illinois, Eastern Division, granted a motion allowing Morgan Administration Inc. and associated debtors doing business as Home Owners Bargain Outlet (HOBO), to engage Paradigm Health Plans, the approved third-party administrator, to reconcile and administer outstanding medical claims for employees participating in HOBO's health plan.

MOBILE, AL – The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has cited Ampac Mobile Holdings LLC – operating as ProAmpac – for exposing employees to caught-in and struck-by hazards at the packaging manufacturer's facility in Mobile, Alabama. The company faces $75,156 in penalties.

JACKSONVILLE, FL – The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has expanded its alliance with the SAFETY Alliance, to raise awareness about hazards associated with the construction industry. This new agreement includes the organization's Jacksonville Chapter.

BOISE, ID – After an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division (WHD), Any Weather Exteriors LLC – a construction contractor based in Star, Idaho – will pay $51,328 in back wages and liquidated damages to 25 employees for violating the overtime requirements of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).

HESSMER, LA – To resolve a lawsuit filed with the Department of Labor's Office of Administrative Law Judges (OALJ), Earl Roy Farm of Louisiana LLC – based in Hessmer, Louisiana – has signed consent findings and will pay $71,611 in back wages to 76 employees, and $33,388 in civil money penalties. The U.S. Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division (WHD) investigated the company and found it had violated the labor provisions of the H-2A temporary agricultural visa program.

Specifically, the WHD found that Earl Roy Farm of Louisiana LLC:

SAIPAN, CNMI – The U.S. Department of Labor has secured a $3,360,000 consent judgment against the developer of the Imperial Pacific Resort Hotel and Casino in Garapan, Saipan, for minimum wage, overtime, and recordkeeping violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) by contractors working on the construction project.