WASHINGTON On Dec. 11, the Interagency Council on Veterans Employment held its first meeting to discuss ways of expanding the participation of veterans in the nation's federal workforce. The meeting was co-chaired by Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis and Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki. John Berry, director of the Office of Personnel Management, serves as the council's vice chair and chief operating officer.

WASHINGTON Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis today announced 98 grants, totaling more than $25 million, to provide approximately 15,000 veterans with job training to help them succeed in civilian careers. The grants are being awarded under the U.S. Department of Labor's Homeless Veterans Reintegration Program (HVRP).

"This funding will help veterans across the country access the resources they need to find good jobs and build a bright future for themselves and their families," said Secretary Solis.

DETROIT In a settlement filed with the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan in Detroit, Ecolab Inc. has agreed to pay $118,000 to a returning Iraq war veteran to resolve a Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA) complaint investigated by the U.S. Department of Labor's Veterans' Employment and Training Service (VETS).