WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced a $573,416 grant to assist about 183 workers affected by layoffs at Thermo Fisher Scientific in Dubuque, Iowa.

"Iowa has been hard hit by the recession, and I am committed to doing everything possible to help transition impacted workers across the state into better and permanent jobs," said Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis. "The grant announced today will help these Iowans gain skills and abilities, which will allow them to compete for and find good jobs in new and emerging industries."

SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA In the week ending Sept. 18, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 465,000, an increase of 12,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 453,000. The 4-week moving average was 463,250, a decrease of 3,250 from the previous week's revised average of 466,500.

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 3.5 percent for the week ending Sept. 11, a decrease of 0.1 percentage point from the prior week's revised rate of 3.6 percent.

BOSTON – The U.S. Department of Labor has obtained a court order appointing an independent fiduciary to manage the abandoned 401(k) plan of defunct VIPswitch Inc. of Rowley, Mass.

ARLINGTON, Va. – The U.S. Department of Labor's Mine Safety and Health Administration announced that an Administrative Law Judge with the Federal Mine Safety and Health Review Commission has ruled in favor of MSHA in a legal challenge filed last June by Massey Energy's Performance Coal Co. The company had challenged MSHA's protocol guidelines in the underground accident investigation of the Upper Big Branch Mine, in which the agency prohibited Massey Energy investigators from using cameras, collecting evidence, mapping and conducting sampling.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration today awarded $2.75 million in Susan Harwood Targeted Topic Training Grants to 16 organizations, including nonprofit and community/faith-based groups, employer associations, labor unions, joint labor/management associations, and colleges and universities.

ARLINGTON, Va. – The U.S. Department of Labor's Mine Safety and Health Administration today announced that on Sept. 23 the Federal Register is expected to publish an emergency temporary standard that revises the existing federal standard on maintenance of incombustible content of rock dust.

WASHINGTON – Because motor vehicle crashes are a leading cause of worker fatalities, Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis today announced a partnership between the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration and the U.S. Department of Transportation to combat distracted driving.

MANAMA, Bahrain — The United States and Bahrain convened a meeting of the Subcommittee on Labor Affairs of the U.S.-Bahrain Free Trade Agreement on Sept. 20. 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.

ARLINGTON, Va. – The U.S. Department of Labor's Mine Safety and Health Administration today announced that, from April through August, the agency conducted "impact inspections" at 111 coal and metal/nonmetal mines throughout the country designated by the agency as having safety or health issues. During that time, enforcement personnel issued 2,660 violations, 45 percent of which were classified as significant and substantial.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor has announced the appointment of new members to the Advisory Committee on Apprenticeship. The ACA is comprised of approximately 30 individuals representing labor unions, employers and the public.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced a $5,849,481 National Emergency Grant award to assist cleanup and recovery efforts in the wake of hurricane-related flooding that struck Texas on June 30.

"The impact of these floods may not have been widely reported in the national media, but it was certainly felt by the many Texans who saw their lives and work interrupted," said Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis. "These funds will pay for temporary cleanup and recovery jobs to be filled by individuals impacted by the flooding."

COSHOCTON, Ohio – A federal district court in Columbus, Ohio, has entered a consent order and judgment requiring Barbara Elise Miller, an executive of Three Rivers Option Care in Coshocton, to repay $78,562.81 in employee contributions and lost opportunity costs to the participants and beneficiaries of the company’s savings investment match plan for employees individual retirement account plan. The judgment follows an investigation conducted by the U.S. Department of Labor into alleged violations of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act.

ARLINGTON, Va. – The U.S. Department of Labor's Mine Safety and Health Administration today announced it has awarded $500,000 in grant funds to six organizations that provide education and training within the mining industry. The Brookwood-Sago grants program was established through a provision in the Mine Improvement and New Emergency Response Act of 2006. The focus of fiscal year 2010's grants will be on training and training materials for mine emergency prevention and preparedness for all underground mines.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Government Accountability Office today issued a report titled, "Whistleblower Protection: Sustained Management Attention Needed to Address Long-standing Program Weaknesses." In response, Occupational Safety and Healthy Administration Assistant Secretary of Labor Dr. David Michaels, issued the following statement:

"OSHA's Whistleblower Protection Program exists because of a decades-old belief held by Congress, stakeholders, employers and society, that whistleblowers play an essential role in protecting workers and the public.

WASHINGTON Direct support professionals – nurse aides, home health aides, and personal and home care aides – are the primary providers of paid hands-on care for millions of individuals with disabilities.

They assist individuals with a broad range of personal assistance including preparation of meals, helping with medications, bathing, dressing, mobility; and getting to planned activities, on a daily basis.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor's Employment and Training Administration today announced a final rule regarding the Unemployment Compensation Program. This rule implements federal legislation requiring the department to establish criteria for states to qualify for interest-free federal loans for the payment of unemployment compensation.

SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA In the week ending Sept. 11, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 450,000, a decrease of 3,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 453,000. The 4-week moving average was 464,750, a decrease of 13,500 from the previous week's revised average of 478,250.

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 3.5 percent for the week ending Sept. 4, a decrease of 0.1 percentage point from the prior week's revised rate of 3.6 percent.

WASHINGTON – The Advisory Council on Employee Welfare and Pension Benefit Plans (known as the ERISA Advisory Council) will convene by teleconference Oct. 4 to discuss reports and recommendations on topics to be submitted to the Secretary of Labor.

The council meeting will be held from Noon to 5:00 p.m. EDT, to discuss reports and recommendations for the Secretary of Labor on topics under study by the group. The advisory council meeting is open to the public.

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor has filed an administrative complaint against Tyson Fresh Meats, the world's largest supplier of premium beef and pork and a wholly owned subsidiary of Tyson Foods Inc. The complaint alleges that Tyson systematically rejected female job applicants at its plant in Joslin, Ill.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced a $2,921,500 National Emergency Grant increment to continue clean-up and recovery efforts in the wake of flooding that struck Tennessee in May.