KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A federal district court in Missouri has appointed the law firm of Spencer Fane Britt & Brown LLP of Overland Park, Kan., to manage the abandoned Lone Wolf Enterprises 401(k) Profit Sharing Plan, wind down the affairs of the plan and distribute its assets to eligible participants and service providers, according to a consent decree obtained by the U.S. Department of Labor.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced a $3,511,254 grant to assist approximately 546 workers affected by layoffs at Valero Energy Corp. located in Delaware City, Del.

"Losing a job hurts. Beyond providing wages, our jobs are so much a part of our identity. These funds will help workers get back into the job market, and back to lifelong career paths," said Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis. "Workers will have the opportunity to upgrade their skills to obtain jobs similar to those they lost or pursue new careers in other fields."

NEW YORK — The U.S. Department of Labor has recovered more than $485,000 in minimum wages, overtime pay, liquidated damages and post-judgment interest for approximately 120 employees of several New York City-area dollar stores. The dollar stores and their owners agreed to two partial consent judgments resolving the department's lawsuit over alleged violations of the federal Fair Labor Standards Act, including the failure to pay minimum wages and overtime compensation to employees who worked in excess of 40 hours a week.

BOSTON – The U.S. Department of Labor has filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts seeking the appointment of an independent fiduciary to oversee the abandoned 401(k) plan of defunct Accurate Paving Inc., formerly located in Medford, Mass.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced a $2,912,436 grant to assist approximately 800 workers affected by layoffs from multiple companies located in Pima County, Ariz.

"The economy of southern Arizona was hit especially hard by the recession and the collapse of the housing market," said Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis. "Today's grant will give workers access to indispensable re-employment and retraining services and lead them to careers in promising sectors of the state's economy."

WASHINGTON – Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis issued the following statement on the September 2010 Employment Situation report released today:

"This past September, nonfarm payroll employment edged down 95,000 jobs, but the economy gained 64,000 jobs in the private sector, and the unemployment rate remained at 9.6 percent.

ARLINGTON, Va. The U.S. Department of Labor's Mine Safety and Health Administration today announced the issuance of 11 closure orders to Elk Run Coal Co.'s Seng Creek Powellton Mine when federal inspectors last week discovered that the mine was taking illegal cuts into the coal seam, operating without proper ventilation and not completing required air readings, which are needed to assure there is sufficient air flow to prevent mine explosions. The mine is owned by Massey Energy Co. and located in Boone County, W.Va.

SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA In the week ending Oct. 2, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 445,000, a decrease of 11,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 456,000. The 4-week moving average was 455,750, a decrease of 3,000 from the previous week's revised average of 458,750.

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 3.5 percent for the week ending Sept. 25, a decrease of 0.1 percentage point from the prior week's revised rate of 3.6 percent.

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of International Labor Affairs today announced a $4 million competitive grant solicitation listed at http://www.grants.gov seeking applications from qualified organizations for innovative strategies to combat the worst forms of child labor in Jordan.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Coca-Cola Bottling Company Consolidated has agreed to pay $495,000 in back wages and interest to 95 African-American and Hispanic job seekers who applied in 2002 for sales support positions at the company's Black Satchel Road distribution facility in Charlotte. The settlement follows an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs.

WASHINGTON — Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis today announced a $2 million grant award to implement a Better Work program in Nicaragua. The grant awarded by the U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of International Labor Affairs will be implemented by the International Labor Organization.

NEW HAVEN, Conn. – The U.S. Department of Labor has obtained a court order appointing an independent fiduciary to manage the 401(k) plan of defunct Miller Agency Inc. of Shelton, Conn.

ARLINGTON, Va. – The U.S. Department of Labor's Mine Safety and Health Administration today announced it will hold public meetings in Arlington, Va., Sacramento, Calif., and Pittsburgh, Pa., to gather information about effective, comprehensive safety and health management programs at mines. The agency will use information gathered from these meetings to help develop a proposed rule for safety and health management programs for mines, which will enable miners and mine operators to be more proactive in their approach to health and safety matters.

DELAWARE, Ohio – A federal district court in Columbus, Ohio, has entered a consent order and judgment requiring Carl Stover, the owner and president of Stover Industries Inc. in Delaware, Ohio, to pay $16,729 for employee contributions and lost opportunity costs to the participants and beneficiaries of the company’s 401(k) plan. The judgment is based on an investigation conducted by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Employee Benefits Security Administration.

WASHINGTON – In conjunction with Drive Safely Work Week, the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration today announced an education campaign calling on employers to prevent work-related distracted driving, with a special focus on prohibiting texting while driving.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor's Employment and Training Administration today announced a solicitation for grant applications for the YouthBuild program. Approximately $130 million is available through two separate appropriations.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor's Employment and Training Administration today announced the publication of a proposed rule that seeks to improve the H-2B temporary nonagricultural worker program and better protect American workers. The proposed rule, to be published in the Federal Register tomorrow, addresses the calculations used to set wage rates for H-2B workers.

WASHINGTON — Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis today issued the following statement on the president's proclamation of October as National Disability Employment Awareness Month 2010. The theme for this year is "Talent Has No Boundaries: Workforce Diversity Includes People with Disabilities."

ARLINGTON, Va. – The U.S. Department of Labor's Mine Safety and Health Administration today announced the second phase in major reforms to its pattern of violations process, which includes tougher provisions for mines with chronic and persistent violations of significant health and safety regulations.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today certified for release $18,421,988 in unemployment insurance modernization incentive funds to the District of Columbia. The district qualified for the funds available under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act by making state unemployment benefits available to part-time workers and by providing additional weeks of benefits to UI beneficiaries enrolled in approved training programs.