WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor would like to notify all former Standard Oil Development Co. workers who worked in Linden, N.J., from 1942 to 1945 about a new class of employees added to the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act's (EEOICPA) Special Exposure Cohort (SEC). The EEOICPA provides compensation and medical benefits to employees who became ill as a result of working in the nuclear weapons industry. Survivors of qualified employees may also be entitled to benefits.

Washington – The U.S. Department of Labor's Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) today announced a proposed exemption that, if granted, would allow the New Chrysler Corp. to transfer approximately $4.59 billion promissory note and company securities to a Voluntary Employees Benefit Association (VEBA) Plan established to provide health benefits for the company's retirees. The retiree health plan would cover about 120,000 retirees and dependents when it becomes effective on Jan. 1, 2010.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is initiating a national emphasis program (NEP) on recordkeeping to assess the accuracy of injury and illness data recorded by employers.

The recordkeeping NEP involves inspecting occupational injury and illness records prepared by businesses and appropriately enforcing regulatory requirements when employers are found to be under-recording injuries and illnesses.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced that approximately 7,200 workers from companies in 17 states – Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Florida, Idaho, Illinois, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, West Virginia and Wisconsin – are eligible to apply for Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA).

SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA In the week ending Sept. 26, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 551,000, an increase of 17,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 534,000. The 4-week moving average was 548,000, a decrease of 6,250 from the previous week's revised average of 554,250.

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 4.6 percent for the week ending Sept. 19, unchanged from the prior week's unrevised rate of 4.6 percent.

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor today held a national listening session on the reauthorization of the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) for a broad range of stakeholders. Assistant Secretary of Labor for Disability Employment Policy Kathy Martinez and Assistant Secretary of Labor for Employment and Training Jane Oates heard comments from workforce investment systems personnel, representatives of the disability community, leaders of nonprofit organizations, academic professionals and members of the general public.

Individuals’ genetic information will have greater protections through new regulations issued today by the U.S. Departments of Health and Human Services (HHS), Labor, and the Treasury.

The interim final rule will help ensure that genetic information is not used adversely in determining health care coverage and will encourage more individuals to participate in genetic testing, which can help better identify and prevent certain illnesses.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor's Women's Bureau has awarded a $265,690 contract to Public Policy Associates Inc. in Lansing, Mich., which will partner with Wider Opportunities for Women (WOW), a nonprofit organization based in Washington, D.C., in the development of a publication designed to increase women's access to high-growth and emerging industry occupations in the green jobs sector nationwide.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor has announced a $1,507,168 National Emergency Grant supplemental award to continue clean-up and recovery efforts in the wake of flooding that occurred in Ohio in 2007.

This funding will be awarded to the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services and be used to create more temporary jobs to assist in recovery and clean-up efforts as a result of the devastation caused by the flooding.

BOSTON — The U.S. Department of Labor has recovered more than $1.5 million in back wages for 272 employees of SI International SEIT Inc., a contractor for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Vermont Service Center, at various locations in St. Albans and Essex Junction, Vt.

WASHINGTON — U.S. Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis today announced $6.4 million in grant awards to implement projects promoting adherence to international core labor standards and support the rights of workers. Another $131,130 in contracts has been awarded to study topics related to international labor standards.

Cornell University institute selected to lead consortium

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. — The U.S. Department of Labor has obtained a consent judgment requiring NFL player Michael D. Vick and his company, MV7 LLC, to repay at least $416,461.10 in restitution to a pension plan sponsored by the company and ordering Vick to forfeit any rights to benefits from the plan. The defendants also agreed to pay a civil monetary penalty imposed by the Labor Department.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced a $430,417 grant to assist approximately 65 workers affected by May 2009 layoffs at two locations of the Standard Insurance Co. in Portland and South Portland, Maine.

"The economic downturn has had a disproportionate impact on the financial services industry," said Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis. "Today's grant will help affected workers retool their skills to successfully obtain employment in new careers or in similar occupations within other industries."

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced a $2,066,981 grant to assist approximately 300 workers affected by 2009 layoffs from RR Donnelley in Wells, Maine.

"The loss of a job is never easy, and these workers deserve our support as they seek re-employment," said Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis. "Today's grant will help individuals by providing the skills, retraining and job search assistance they need to obtain new jobs in high-growth and high-demand industries in the area."

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced three National Emergency Grants totaling $38,033,600 to assist workers affected by documented layoffs from multiple companies in three defined regional economies throughout Michigan. These grants will provide flexibility to serve 2,161 workers currently displaced and those affected by future layoffs occurring within these regions during the grants' 12-month period of performance. Based on state of Michigan estimates, about 13,291 total workers ultimately will be served.

WASHINGTON — U.S. Department of Labor Deputy Undersecretary for International Affairs Sandra Polaski spoke at the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Labor and Employment Ministerial taking place this week in Paris on the topic of "The Jobs Crisis: the Labor Market and Social Policy Response."

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced $164.5 million to 49 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands to make technology upgrades that will improve the operation and security of unemployment insurance systems.

WASHINGTON — Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis today announced nearly $59 million in grants awarded by the U.S. Department of Labor in fiscal year 2009 to combat exploitive child labor in 19 countries. The grants will help rescue more than 85,000 children from exploitive labor, and offer them hope for the future through education and training. The grants will also help improve collection and analysis of child labor data and support the development and implementation of national action plans to address the problem.

Atlanta – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) has obtained a consent judgment allowing Abby Paschal to continue as a fiduciary in order to terminate the ZNET Financial Services’ 401(k) plan and distribute its assets to participants.