WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division is requesting public comments on its preliminary interpretations of a new provision of the Fair Labor Standards Act that requires employers to provide nursing mothers with reasonable break time and a private space for expressing breast milk while at work. This new provision — the Break Time for Nursing Mothers Law — became law when the Affordable Care Act was signed by the president in March 2010.

WASHINGTON – Officials at seven of the U.S. Department of Labor’s agencies will host live Web chats and, in one case, a conference call to discuss their respective regulatory agendas during the first week of January 2011. These events are open to the public and members of the press. The Labor Department’s entire regulatory agenda was published in the Dec. 20 issue of the Federal Register.

WASHINGTON – Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis today announced the appointments of five new members to the 2011 Advisory Council on Employee Welfare and Pension Benefit Plans – known as the ERISA Advisory Council. She also announced the appointment of the incoming chair and vice chair of the council.

WASHINGTON – Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis made the following remarks in response to the Senate vote on the Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors, or Dream, Act:

Operators play important role to ensure miners not overexposed to harmful contaminants

Solis and Sebelius lead charge to end homelessness

SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA In the week ending Dec. 11, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 420,000, a decrease of 3,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 423,000. The 4-week moving average was 422,750, a decrease of 5,250 from the previous week's revised average of 428,000.

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 3.3 percent for the week ending Dec. 4, unchanged from the prior week's revised rate of 3.3 percent.

ARLINGTON, Va. – The U.S. Department of Labor's Mine Safety and Health Administration announced today that it successfully obtained a court order that imposes a number of requirements on Sullivan Granite Co. LLC, which operates Brown's Meadow Quarry in Franklin, Maine.

NACOSH meeting scheduled for Jan. 19-20, 2011

WASHINGTON – Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis today announced appointment of five new members to the National Advisory Committee on Occupational Safety and Health. The department's emphasis on worker safety and health was enhanced by these new appointees, who will serve two-year terms, and are leaders in the fields of medicine, academia and safety program development.

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor today announced a $640,000 grant award to the International Labor Organization to implement a project on fundamental rights, labor law and administration reform in the Republic of Maldives. The grant was awarded by the department's Bureau of International Labor Affairs.

The project will assist the government of Maldives in developing a well-functioning system of labor relations, labor law and labor administration.

WASHINGTON — Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis today announced the release of three reports on child labor and/or forced labor around the world. Secretary Solis was joined by Sen. Tom Harkin of Iowa at U.S. Department of Labor headquarters in unveiling the reports.

WASHINGTON — Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis today announced the award of $40 million in grants by the U.S. Department of Labor in 2010 to combat exploitive child labor in 12 countries. The grants will offer children access to educational and training alternatives, help improve the livelihoods of their households so their parents can meet basic needs without relying on child labor, and build local capacity to scale-up and sustain efforts to eliminate exploitive child labor.

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor today announced a grant award of more than $5.3 million to the International Labor Organization to support the global Better Work program by implementing projects in Bangladesh and continuing projects in Cambodia and Vietnam. The grant was awarded by the department's Bureau of International Labor Affairs.

EAU CLAIRE, Wis. – The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration today cited the hazardous waste management processor, WRR Environmental Services Co., for failing to implement measures to prevent potentially catastrophic chemical fires and explosions at its facility in Eau Claire. OSHA has issued 14 willful and one serious citation to the company with proposed penalties of $787,000 for failing to fully develop and implement a process safety management program at the facility.

Shuttle cars and scoops linked to 16 fatalities, nearly 800 injuries since 2000

ORANGE, Calif. — A U.S. district court judge has ruled in favor of the U.S. Department of Labor in a case against a Westminster, Calif., garment manufacturer and its owner, awarding a total of $887,554 to current and former workers. Judge A. Howard Matz approved the department's request for a default judgment against Laundry Room Clothing Inc., owner Milton Kaneda and principal Sharon Kaneda after they failed to pay $380,824 in unpaid minimum wage and overtime compensation due to 115 low-wage workers.

NEW YORK — The U.S. Department of Labor has taken legal action to recover more than $829,000 in back wages for 32 workers employed as demolition laborers by Enviro & Demo Masters Inc. and Gladiators Contracting Corp., construction demolition companies based in Brooklyn and Queens.

"The department will not hesitate to pursue legal action, including debarment, to ensure employees are properly paid under the law," said Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor has obtained a consent order requiring C.S. Capital Management Inc. of Atlanta, Ga., and owner Paul H. Saylor to restore $1,090,000 to the Plumbers and Pipefitters National Pension Plan as restitution for improperly investing $25 million in risky private placement bonds. The firm also was ordered to pay $109,990.91 in fines to the federal government.

WORCESTER, Mass. – The U.S. Department of Labor has sued Christopher Wong and his company, Wong’s Motor Corp. of Phillipston, Mass., for allegedly violating the Employee Retirement Income Security Act by using employees’ 401 (k) plan contributions for the benefit of the company.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced a $2,601,207 grant to assist about 448 workers affected by the closure of the Chrysler Kenosha Engine Plant located in Kenosha, Wis.