PHILADELPHIA —— Employee exposure to safety hazards has resulted in citations issued to Top Class Construction Inc.after federal safety inspectors found eight serious and repeat violations at a Medford, N.J., residential construction site. The inspection, conducted by the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration, was initiated under a Local Emphasis Program focused on fall hazards, and has resulted in $44,880 in proposed penalties.

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor today announced the availability of approximately $58 million in grant funding through the Workforce Investment Act Section 166 Indian and Native American Program. The purpose of the grants is to improve the academic, occupational and literacy skills of Indian, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian adults and youth, making them more competitive in the workforce.

SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA In the week ending March 15, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 320,000, an increase of 5,000 from the previous week's unrevised figure of 315,000. The 4-week moving average was 327,000, a decrease of 3,500 from the previous week's unrevised average of 330,500.

McALLEN, Texas — The U.S. Department of Labor has filed an action in the U.S. District Court in McAllen seeking a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction to protect workers from retaliation and threats of retaliation from some ISPE Produce Inc. officials.

The department's Wage and Hour Division is currently investigating ISPE Produce under the minimum wage, overtime, record-keeping and anti-retaliation provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act.

WASHINGTON — U.S. Secretary of Labor Thomas E. Perez today issued the following statement regarding the release of the 2013 Employment Situation of Veterans report by the department's Bureau of Labor Statistics:

WASHINGTON — Carol Pier, deputy undersecretary for the U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of International Labor Affairs, today announced Isidro León-York of Nicaragua as the recipient of the department's 2013 Iqbal Masih Award for the Elimination of Child Labor. U.S. Ambassador to Nicaragua Phyllis M. Powers presented the award to Mr. León-York at a ceremony today in Managua.

Date of Action: March 17, 2014

Type of Action: Consent Order and Judgment

Name of Defendant: Richard Sippola, individually, and as fiduciary of the Carnegie Body Company 401(k) Retirement Plan

Allegations: Richard Sippola, individually and as fiduciary of the Carnegie Body Company 401(k) Retirement Plan failed to ensure that employee pre-tax contributions and loan repayments for the period March 13, 2009, through Jan. 10, 2010, were remitted to the Carnegie Body Company 401(k) Retirement Plan. The company is located in Cleveland.

SWAINSBORO, Ga. — A 42-year-old worker fell approximately 19 feet off scaffolding to his death while applying stucco to a pre-existing building that was being renovated as a college dormitory for East Georgia State College in Swainsboro. The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration conducted an investigation following the Sept. 20, 2013, fatality and cited Jack Smiley, doing business as Smiley Plaster Co., for five safety violations, including a willful violation of the law.

NEW YORK — The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration has ordered DISH Network to pay a former employee $157,024 in back wages, $100,000 in compensatory damages and take other corrective action.

WASHINGTON — The Occupational Safety and Health Administration today began holding public hearings for the notice of proposed rulemaking on occupational exposure to crystalline silica. This marks the beginning of an intensive three weeks of public comment on the proposal, with hearings scheduled through Friday, April 4.

Date of Action: March 6, 2014

Type of Action: Complaint

Name(s) of Defendant: Council on Economic Priorities Inc. 403(b) Retirement Plan

COLUMBUS, Ohio —— ConAgra Foods Inc. has been cited for multiple safety violations at its Columbus-based flour mill. Most of the citations were issued because machines lacked proper guarding, one of the 10 most frequently cited standards by the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration. The 13 safety violations, which include three repeat citations, carry proposed penalties of $117,000.

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor today announced a $256,696 grant to assist approximately 100 workers impacted by layoffs at Lincoln Paper and Tissue LLC located in Lincoln, Maine.

"These layoffs have had a significant impact on an area already suffering from high unemployment," said Acting Assistant Secretary of Labor for Employment and Training Eric M. Seleznow. "This National Emergency Grant will provide the workers affected by these layoffs with the critical services needed in order for them to succeed in finding new employment."

SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA In the week ending March 8, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 315,000, a decrease of 9,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 324,000. The 4-week moving average was 330,500, a decrease of 6,250 from the previous week's revised average of 336,750.

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Disability Employment Policy and the National Council on Disability invite the public to participate in a virtual town hall dialogue, "Advancing Accessibility and Inclusion in Social Media — The User Experience," which will examine the accessibility barriers of social media for individuals with disabilities, including jobseekers and workers.

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor today announced the availability of approximately $44 million in grants through the Face Forward program to provide work-based learning opportunities and support services for youth ages 14 to 24 who have been through the juvenile justice system.

GREENWOOD VILLAGE, Colo. — Reconstruction Experts Inc. was cited by the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration for three safety violations, including one willful. Chivas Contractors was also cited for three serious safety violations during a November 2013 complaint inspection of an unsafe trenching work site in Aurora. The combined proposed penalties total $81,400.

WASHINGTON — U.S. Secretary of Labor Thomas E. Perez today announced the appointments of five new members to the 2014 Advisory Council on Employee Welfare and Pension Benefit Plans, known as the ERISA Advisory Council. He also announced the 2014 chair and vice chair of the council, which are Neal S. Schelberg and Paul M. Secunda respectively.

LYONS, Ill. — Employees of Celtic Environmental Inc. were exposed to lead paint hazards while conducting abrasive blasting operations on a viaduct located at Richards and Herkimer Streets in Joliet in October 2013. The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration cited the company for 10 serious safety violations, carrying proposed penalties of $46,900. OSHA initiated a complaint inspection of the site under the National Emphasis Program for Lead Exposure in Construction.

CANTON, Ohio — Gaspar Inc., a boiler manufacturer, has been cited for two willful violations by the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Proposed penalties total $112,000. OSHA's investigation found the company was requiring employees to operate two press brakes and a horizontal boring machine where the machine guards had been removed. Machine guarding protects workers from lacerations, caught-in and amputation hazards.