WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced $14.7 million in health care career grants authorized by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. The four grantees are the American Association of Community Colleges, Goodwill Industries International, the International Association of Jewish Vocational Services and SER-Jobs for Progress National Inc. The grants will support projects designed to provide health care training and virtual service-delivery models (i.e., web-based services) to promote career opportunities in the health care sector.

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor today announced the implementation of tougher penalties against employers that illegally employ child workers.

"Protecting our youngest workers is one of this department's top priorities. Beginning today, employers who hire children too young to work will face stiffer penalties," said Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis. "Work is not child's play. When children do work, that work must be age appropriate, safe and positive, and, it must not interfere with their schooling."

Washington – The U.S. Department of Labor's Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) today announced an amendment to an existing class exemption that expands the category of assets that can be accepted as settlement of litigation between employee benefit plans and related parties.

house asset managers

Washington – The U.S Department of Labor's Employee Benefits Security Administration is proposing to amend Prohibited Transaction Exemption (PTE) 96-23. PTE 96-23 is a class exemption that allows in-house managers of large employee benefit plans to engage in a wide range of transactions with related parties.

WASHINGTON – Raymond Jefferson, assistant secretary of the U.S. Department of Labor's Veterans' Employment and Training Service, today announced that 22 grants, totaling more than $9 million, are being awarded nationwide to provide thousands of veterans with green jobs training.

WASHINGTON – U.S. Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis today announced during a press conference call the release of $7,820,193 in unemployment insurance modernization incentive funds to the state of Rhode Island. Rhode Island qualified for a portion of its share of the funds available under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act because its unemployment law contains provisions that allow workers to use recent earnings to qualify for benefits.

Fort Lauderdale, Florida – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Employee Benefits Security Administration is offering a free workshop for employee benefit plan professionals, including clients of plan service providers, on Thursday, June 24, at Nova Southeastern University, H. Wayne Huizenga School of Business and Entrepreneurship, Carl Desantis Building, 3301 College Avenue, Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced a total of $1.8 million in funding to six organizations in California, Illinois, Maryland, New York, Ohio and Pennsylvania as part of the Women in Apprenticeship and Non-traditional Occupations Grants program. The awards will support partnerships between the grantees and currently existing Registered Apprenticeship programs to ensure that women have training opportunities and career support to succeed in non-traditional occupations in growing sectors of the economy.

SEATTLE — An investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division has resulted in the payment of more than $4.2 million in back wages owed to 603 employees of Hermiston, Ore.-based EG&G Technical Services for work at the Umatilla Chemical Depot in Umatilla, Ore.

WASHINGTON – Jordan Barab, deputy assistant secretary for the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration, today testified before the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Subcommittee on Employment and Workplace Safety. His statement, as prepared, appears below.

WASHINGTON – The federal on scene coordinator for the BP Deepwater Horizon response and the U.S. Department of Labors Occupational Safety and Health Administration today announced the signing of a memorandum of understanding concerning worker safety and health issues related to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill response in the Gulf of Mexico.

WASHINGTON – In observance of the 47th anniversary of the Equal Pay Act, Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis today released the following statement:

"Forty-seven years ago today, President John F. Kennedy signed the Equal Pay Act into law. As he put pen to paper, women were being paid 59 cents for every dollar earned by men. That was almost half a century ago.

"Today, pay parity remains far from a reality for women. This is just unacceptable.

SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA In the week ending June 5, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 456,000, a decrease of 3,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 459,000. The 4-week moving average was 463,000, an increase of 2,500 from the previous week's revised average of 460,500.

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 3.5 percent for the week ending May 29, a decrease of 0.2 percentage point from the prior week's revised rate of 3.7 percent.

Washington – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced a final rule regarding certain requirements for qualified domestic relations orders (QDROs) under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA).

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor has announced an $816,730 National Emergency Grant increment to continue clean-up and recovery efforts in the wake of severe storms, tornadoes and flooding that struck Arkansas in October 2009.

"Workers in Arkansas are helping the state recover from severe damage that stems from inclement weather last fall. This grant will continue funding for the temporary jobs of individuals engaged in those efforts," said Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis.

DENVER — The U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs has announced that The Wackenhut Corp., doing business as G4S Wackenhut, has entered into a consent decree to settle findings of hiring discrimination at its Aurora, Colo., facility. The consent decree settles OFCCP's allegations that Wackenhut engaged in hiring discrimination against 446 rejected African-American applicants for the position of traditional security officer for a two-year period. Wackenhut is headquartered in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs is seeking input from the public on ways to strengthen its regulations requiring federal contractors to take affirmative action to employ and advance in employment qualified individuals with disabilities. In an Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to be published in the Federal Register July 23, the agency invites the public to help revise the regulations implementing Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.

ARLINGTON, Va. – Joseph A. Main, assistant secretary of the U.S. Department of Labor's Mine Safety and Health Administration, today issued the following statement on a ruling in the Tiller No. 1 Mine pattern of violations case:

"As a result of today's oral decision* by Federal Mine Safety and Health Review Commission Judge David Barbour, Massey Energy's Tiller No. 1 Mine in southwestern Virginia cannot be placed on a pattern of violations by MSHA. The result makes clear the need to reform the broken pattern of violations system.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced a $495,238 grant to assist about 90 workers affected by layoffs at Blount Inc. in Portland, Ore., and its subsidiary Carlton Co. Inc. in Milwaukie, Ore.

"The grant is specifically designed to help these workers get back on their feet," said Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis. "It will make crucial re-employment and retraining services possible, bringing these Oregonians closer to the type of good jobs that offer stability and opportunities for advancement."

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced $1.4 million in Trade Adjustment Assistance Technical Assistance and Outreach Partnership Grants to three organizations to provide services in 10 states. The organizations are the AFL-CIO Working for America Institute; the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers; and the Washington State Labor Council AFL-CIO. The grants will be used to support projects that provide technical assistance and outreach to dislocated workers impacted by foreign trade.