WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Secretary of Labor Eugene Scalia traveled to Cincinnati, Ohio to discuss economic recovery, workplace safety, and the steps needed to develop a skilled, dynamic workforce. Secretary Scalia visited Consolidated Metals, where he met company leadership and employees and discussed the economic re-opening. Additionally, Secretary Scalia visited Great Oaks which specializes in career and technical education for both high school students and adults.

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, the U.S. Government, through efforts of the U.S. Department of Labor and the U.S. Embassy in Guatemala City, signed an updated bilateral cooperative agreement with Guatemala to facilitate increased transparency, accountability and worker safety in the H-2 nonimmigrant visa programs for temporary workers from Guatemala.

WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced actions it is taking to assist Americans in states affected by Hurricane Sally.

In response to the anticipated needs of those living in states in the path of Hurricane Sally, the Department and its agencies are taking the following actions:

In the week ending September 12, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 860,000, a decrease of 33,000 from the previous week's revised level. The previous week's level was revised up by 9,000 from 884,000 to 893,000. The 4-week moving average was 912,000, a decrease of 61,000 from the previous week's revised average. The previous week's average was revised up by 2,250 from 970,750 to 973,000.

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GEORGETOWN, MA – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) cited Georgetown Dental LLC for violating respiratory protection and other standards at the Georgetown, Massachusetts, location. OSHA cited the dental practice for six serious and one other-than-serious violations, with proposed penalties of $9,500. The company has paid the penalty in full and abated the citations.

NEW YORK, NY – After an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division (WHD), Weaver Racing Inc. and owner George R. Weaver paid a total of $425,000 in court-ordered back wages, liquidated damages and civil penalties for violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and the labor provisions of the H-2B visa program.

WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Labor today awarded a total of $32,000,000 in Workforce Information Grants to States (WIGS) for use by states and territories to support the development, management and delivery of workforce and labor market information.

WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced the award of approximately $2,500,000 million in grants through the Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC) that incentivizes workplace diversity and facilitates access to good jobs for American workers.

These awards will help state workforce agencies streamline their business processes and systems to reduce the processing backlog, including the number of accumulated certification requests that employers have submitted and await processing.

WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced the award of three Dislocated Worker Grants (DWGs) totaling $11,150,278 to Oklahoma, Washington and Wisconsin, to help address the workforce-related impacts of the coronavirus public health emergency.

WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Labor announced today the availability of up to $40 million in funding in the Rural Healthcare Grant Program to address rural healthcare workforce shortages in communities across the country.

ATLANTA, GA – Risk & Insurance Consultants Inc. – based in Atlanta, Georgia – has paid $1,599 in back wages after denying paid sick leave to an employee who received a healthcare professional’s instructions to self-quarantine due to coronavirus concerns.

WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Labor today awarded a grant of $1,052,528 to the State of Maryland in a cooperative agreement to support Maryland’s Workforce Information Technology Support Center (WITSC).

WASHINGTON, DC – As part of its comprehensive response to the coronavirus pandemic, the Wage and Hour Division (WHD) of the U.S. Department of Labor is educating workers with a public awareness campaign about workplace rights amid the coronavirus pandemic.

SAN ANTONIO, TX – After an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division (WHD), an enterprise operating three San Antonio, Texas, area restaurants has paid $71,899 in back wages to 327 employees to resolve violations of the tip-pooling requirements of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).

DEDEDO, GUAM – After an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division (WHD), Modern Konstrak – a construction company based in Dededo, Guam – will pay $85,993 to 75 employees for violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act’s (FLSA) overtime requirements. The employer will also pay $23,118 in penalties for the willful nature of the violations.

WASHINGTON, DC – Last week, the U.S. Department of Labor took a range of actions to aid American workers and employers as our nation combats the coronavirus pandemic.

Reopening America’s Economy:

PARAMUS, NJ – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has cited CarePlus Bergen Inc., doing business as Bergen New Bridge Medical Center, for violating respiratory protection standards at its Paramus, New Jersey, location. OSHA cited the hospital for two serious violations, with proposed penalties of $9,639.

GREELEY, CO – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has cited JBS Foods Inc. in Greeley, Colorado, for failing to protect employees from exposure to the coronavirus. OSHA proposed $15,615 in penalties.

NORTH BERGEN, NJ – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has cited Hackensack Meridian Health Residential Care Inc. OSHA issued two serious citations and one other-than-serious violation for failing to protect employees from exposure to the coronavirus at its North Bergen, New Jersey, facility. OSHA proposed a penalty of $28,070 for the violations.

WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division (WHD) today posted revisions to regulations that implemented the paid sick leave and expanded family and medical leave provisions of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA).