Rule underscores mine operators responsibility for conducting safety and health examinations

Agency rescinds Clinton-era directive and gives workers more safeguards against falls

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced a $2,994,763 National Emergency Grant increment to continue providing services to workers affected by layoffs from multiple companies in the aviation, construction, health care, manufacturing and retail industries in south central Kansas. The majority of the layoffs were from four companies in the area's aviation manufacturing industry: Boeing, Bombardier Aerospace, Cessna and Hawker Beechcraft Corp.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Employee Benefits Security Administration today announced it will hold a public hearing on March 1, 2011 and if necessary, March 2, 2011, in Washington, D.C. on the proposed rule amending the definition of the term “fiduciary.” The proposed rule was published in the Oct. 22, 2010 Federal Register for public comment.

ARLINGTON, Va. – The U.S. Department of Labor's Mine Safety and Health Administration today announced that federal inspectors issued 250 citations, orders and safeguards during special impact inspections conducted at 12 coal and 10 metal/nonmetal mine operations last month.

WASHINGTON – Officials at seven of the U.S. Department of Labor s agencies will host live Web chats and, in one case, a conference call to discuss their respective regulatory agendas during the first week of January 2011. These events are open to the public and members of the press. The Labor Department s entire regulatory agenda was published in the Dec. 20 issue of the Federal Register.

WHO: Officials of U.S. Department of Labor agencies

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor has announced a $543,705 National Emergency Grant supplemental award to Missouri to continue re-employment services to about 400 civilian defense workers affected by 2005 Base Realignment and Closure actions.

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division is requesting public comments on its preliminary interpretations of a new provision of the Fair Labor Standards Act that requires employers to provide nursing mothers with reasonable break time and a private space for expressing breast milk while at work. This new provision — the Break Time for Nursing Mothers Law — became law when the Affordable Care Act was signed by the president in March 2010.

WASHINGTON – Officials at seven of the U.S. Department of Labor’s agencies will host live Web chats and, in one case, a conference call to discuss their respective regulatory agendas during the first week of January 2011. These events are open to the public and members of the press. The Labor Department’s entire regulatory agenda was published in the Dec. 20 issue of the Federal Register.

WASHINGTON – Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis today announced the appointments of five new members to the 2011 Advisory Council on Employee Welfare and Pension Benefit Plans – known as the ERISA Advisory Council. She also announced the appointment of the incoming chair and vice chair of the council.

WASHINGTON – Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis made the following remarks in response to the Senate vote on the Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors, or Dream, Act:

ARLINGTON, Va. – The U.S. Department of Labor's Mine Safety and Health Administration announced today that it successfully obtained a court order that imposes a number of requirements on Sullivan Granite Co. LLC, which operates Brown's Meadow Quarry in Franklin, Maine.

Operators play important role to ensure miners not overexposed to harmful contaminants

NACOSH meeting scheduled for Jan. 19-20, 2011

WASHINGTON – Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis today announced appointment of five new members to the National Advisory Committee on Occupational Safety and Health. The department's emphasis on worker safety and health was enhanced by these new appointees, who will serve two-year terms, and are leaders in the fields of medicine, academia and safety program development.

Solis and Sebelius lead charge to end homelessness

SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA In the week ending Dec. 11, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 420,000, a decrease of 3,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 423,000. The 4-week moving average was 422,750, a decrease of 5,250 from the previous week's revised average of 428,000.

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 3.3 percent for the week ending Dec. 4, unchanged from the prior week's revised rate of 3.3 percent.

WASHINGTON — Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis today announced the release of three reports on child labor and/or forced labor around the world. Secretary Solis was joined by Sen. Tom Harkin of Iowa at U.S. Department of Labor headquarters in unveiling the reports.

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor today announced a grant award of more than $5.3 million to the International Labor Organization to support the global Better Work program by implementing projects in Bangladesh and continuing projects in Cambodia and Vietnam. The grant was awarded by the department's Bureau of International Labor Affairs.

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor today announced a $640,000 grant award to the International Labor Organization to implement a project on fundamental rights, labor law and administration reform in the Republic of Maldives. The grant was awarded by the department's Bureau of International Labor Affairs.

The project will assist the government of Maldives in developing a well-functioning system of labor relations, labor law and labor administration.

WASHINGTON — Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis today announced the award of $40 million in grants by the U.S. Department of Labor in 2010 to combat exploitive child labor in 12 countries. The grants will offer children access to educational and training alternatives, help improve the livelihoods of their households so their parents can meet basic needs without relying on child labor, and build local capacity to scale-up and sustain efforts to eliminate exploitive child labor.