WASHINGTON – In 2010, an estimated 500 people in Washington state died by overdose, 83 percent of them blamed on controlled substances. A decade later, fatal overdoses claimed more than 1,726 residents’ lives.

WASHINGTON – U.S. Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh issued the following statement on the November 2021 Employment Situation Report:

NEW YORK – A federal workplace safety investigation has found a Queens construction contractor failed to provide and ensure the use of effective fall protection safeguards that would have prevented the death of a worker who fell about 60 feet from a roof on May 27, 2021, during demolition of a Brooklyn building.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration is extending the period for submitting comments on the Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking for Heat Injury and Illness Prevention in Outdoor and Indoor Work Settings. Comments on the ANPRM must now be submitted by Jan. 26, 2022.

GUYMON, OK – A Guymon processing and packing facility – operated by one of the nation’s largest pork processors – failed to prevent workers from being exposed to repetitive motion injuries and did not record injuries that needed more than basic first-aid.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced the upcoming launch of an online portal through which federal government contractors and subcontractors will certify compliance with annual Affirmative Action Program requirements.

In the week ending November 27, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 222,000, an increase of 28,000 from the previous week's revised level. The previous week's level was revised down by 5,000 from 199,000 to 194,000. The 4-week moving average was 238,750, a decrease of 12,250 from the previous week's revised average. This is the lowest level for this average since March 14, 2020 when it was 225,500. The previous week's average was revised down by 1,250 from 252,250 to 251,000.

MANCHESTER, NH – A New Hampshire residential carpentry contractor misclassified some employees as independent contractors and paid others straight-time wages when they worked over 40 hours in a workweek, a U.S. Department of Labor investigation has found.

VACAVILLE, CA – A U.S. Department of Labor investigation has found that – despite their hard work and long hours – a Northern California roofing and solar panel contractor denied 385 workers overtime wages by paying them on a piece-rate basis regardless of how many hours they worked.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking seeking public comment on its proposal to modify the methodology used to determine the hourly Adverse Effect Wage Rates for the H-2A program. The proposed changes will better enable the department to meet its statutory mandate to ensure the employment of H-2A workers will not adversely affect the wages of workers in the United States similarly employed.

COLUMBIA, SC – The operator of five Charleston-area Marco’s Pizza locations paid $101,027 in civil penalties after federal investigators found the employer endangered minor-aged workers by allowing them to perform prohibited or hazardous duties and employed a 17-year-old worker illegally as a delivery driver.

PITTSBURGH – A Pittsburgh restaurant improperly used its tip pool – requiring workers to share tips with managers, supervisors and other employees not usually tipped by customers – leading to violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act, a federal investigation has found.

TARRYTOWN, NY – Three federal safety inspections at a Suffern condominium complex confirmed a Rockland County roofing contractor repeatedly exposed residential roof workers to potentially deadly falls from heights of 18 to 20 feet.   

LOS ANGELES – Today, U.S. Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh visited the Port of Los Angeles to discuss the Biden-Harris administration’s historic economic growth and the easing of supply chain disruptions. Secretary Walsh provided remarks alongside leadership from the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, Rep. Nannette Barragán, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti and Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia.

MILLEDGEVILLE, GA – A Milledgeville grocery store faces $9,362 in penalties after the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration found the employer failed to protect employees from exposure to coronavirus and other safety hazards.

FAYETTEVILLE, NC - Sesenta y un trabajadores de una empresa de reparación y venta de motocicletas de Fayetteville recibieron los salarios que se les debían después de que el Departamento de Trabajo de EE.UU. descubriera que las prácticas de su empleador les negaba el pago de horas extras violando la Ley de Normas Justas de Trabajo (FLSA, por sus siglas en inglés).

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration has extended the comment period for the COVID-19 vaccination and testing emergency temporary standard to Jan. 19, 2022. OSHA extended the comment period by 45 days to allow stakeholders additional time to review the ETS and collect information and data necessary for comment.

FAYETTEVILLE, NC – Sixty-one workers of a Fayetteville motorcycle repair and sales company received wages owed to them after the U.S. Department of Labor found their employer’s pay practices denied them overtime wages in violation of the Fair Labor Standards Act.

GUAYNABO, PR – Oil and vapor releases into the air and fiery flares at a St. Croix refinery in February and May led to an investigation that found the operator failed to meet federal workplace chemical safety standards and endangered workers.

LANCASTER, TX – With a sharpening focus on the impact of “supply chains” on the timely delivery of goods, many Americans now understand that their ability to obtain goods and services depends on the hard work of logistics industry workers.