WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor has announced a $1,753,905 National Emergency Grant increment to the state of Wisconsin to continue to provide services to about 1,334 workers affected by layoffs at multiple companies, particularly in the manufacturing industry.

"This grant will continue to provide these Wisconsinites with the re-employment and retraining services that will help them succeed in today's economy," said Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis. "Helping workers who lose jobs through no fault of their own is simply the right thing to do."

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor has announced a $4,674,400 National Emergency Grant award to assist clean-up and recovery efforts in the wake of the flooding that struck Tennessee in May 2010. Of this amount, $1,752,900 will be released initially.

"The images of Nashville under water have been heart-breaking," said Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis. "This grant will support ongoing recovery efforts and provide temporary employment to Tennesseans as they clean-up flood-impacted areas and return their lives to normalcy."

SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA In the week ending May 22, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 460,000, a decrease of 14,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 474,000. The 4-week moving average was 456,500, an increase of 2,250 from the previous week's revised average of 454,250.

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 3.6 percent for the week ending May 15, unchanged from the prior week's unrevised rate of 3.6 percent.

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Departments of Labor and Health and Human Services will hold the second meeting of the Medicaid, Children's Health Insurance Program and Employer Sponsored Coverage Coordination Working Group on June 14 in Washington at the Grand Hyatt, 1000 H St. NW.

The working group will meet from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. EDT to hear public testimony from witnesses. The meeting is open to the public. The Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2009 requires the departments to jointly establish the CHIP Working Group.

Birmingham, Alabama – 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 10, at the Birmingham Social Security Center, 1200 Rev. Abraham Woods Jr. Blvd. in Birmingham.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today certified for release $11,765,089 in unemployment insurance modernization incentive funds to the state of South Dakota. South Dakota qualified for the remaining two-thirds of its share of the funds available under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act by enabling certain part-time workers to be eligible for UI benefits and by providing additional weeks of benefits to people who are enrolled in training or education programs.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor's Veterans' Employment and Training Service today announced a $750,000 grant competition aimed at supporting Department of Labor grantees that provide employment services to homeless veterans and veterans at risk of becoming homeless.

Washington – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) will host a free webcast June 3 to answer questions from employers, plan administrators and service providers about the Form 5500, EFAST2 and the new e-signature options for electronic filing requirements that began with the 2009 plan year.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration has announced in a notice of proposed rulemaking published in today's Federal Register its plans to require improved worker protection from tripping, slipping and falling hazards on walking and working surfaces. A public hearing on the revised changes will be held after the public comment period for the NPRM.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced a $1.8 million grant to assist around 450 workers affected by layoffs at Plum Creek Timber Co. Inc. and Smurfit-Stone Container Corp. in western Montana.

"Montana's timber and wood products industry saw a marked downturn during the recent recession," said Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis. "Today's grant will help these workers enter training that will allow them to compete for and find jobs in new and emerging industries."

ARLINGTON, Va. – The U.S. Department of Labor's Mine Safety and Health Administration today announced that the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia has ruled in MSHA's favor in a recent challenge to the agency's decision to conduct private interviews as part of its investigation of the Upper Big Branch Mine explosion.

SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA In the week ending May 15, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 471,000, an increase of 25,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 446,000. The 4-week moving average was 453,500, an increase of 3,000 from the previous week's unrevised average of 450,500.

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 3.6 percent for the week ending May 8, unchanged from the prior week's unrevised rate of 3.6 percent.

JACKSON, Miss. – The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration has fined VT Halter Marine Inc., a shipbuilder, for $1,322,000 following a November 2009 explosion and fire that killed two workers and seriously injured two other workers. The incident occurred in the inner bottom void of a tugboat that was being constructed at the company's Escatawpa, Miss., facility.

WASHINGTON – The materials supplement OSHA-required training workers must receive before they can be hired to engage in the cleanup. In addition to English, the safety guides and fact sheets initially will be printed in Spanish and Vietnamese in recognition of the diverse population inhabiting the Gulf Coast region. They will be made available by BP's education contractor, PEC, and OSHA officials at cleanup staging areas.The U.S.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today certified for release $26,015,055 in unemployment insurance modernization incentive funds to the state of New Mexico. New Mexico qualified for the remaining two-thirds of its share of the funds available under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act by allowing certain part-time workers to claim UI benefits and by providing dependents' allowances for all UI beneficiaries.

RABAT, Morocco — The United States and Morocco on May 18 convened in Rabat the inaugural meeting of the Sub-Committee on Labor Affairs created under the United States-Morocco Free Trade Agreement. Representatives at the meeting reaffirmed their commitments under the agreement to recognize and protect the rights stated in the International Labor Organization's Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work.

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor will publish a final rule in the May 20 edition of the Federal Register requiring federal contractors and subcontractors to provide notice to their employees of their rights under the National Labor Relations Act.

SALT LAKE CITY — Teleperformance USA, a Salt Lake City-based call center, has paid $1,978,147 in back wages to 15,862 workers for overtime violations under the Fair Labor Standards Act. The settlement followed a nationwide investigation conducted by the U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division in Salt Lake City.

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor today announced the publication of final regulations updating protections for young employees in non-agricultural work for the 21st century economy.

"Today's regulations protect young employees from dangerous machines and tools, excessive work hours and other hazards at work," said Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis. "These rules incorporate recommendations from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health and take a common sense approach to keeping young workers safe from harm."

ARLINGTON, Va. – The U.S. Department of Labor's Mine Safety and Health Administration today further defined its plans for a series of public hearings in the investigation of the April 5 explosion at the Upper Big Branch Mine in Raleigh County, W.Va. The public hearings will commence after the initial witness interviews are completed.