WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced that approximately 4,600 workers from companies in 14 states – California, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia and Wisconsin – are eligible to apply for Trade Adjustment Assistance.

WASHINGTON — Sandra Polaski, deputy undersecretary of labor for the U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of International Labor Affairs, today testified before two subcommittees of the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Affairs on the role of labor issues and workers' rights in the Obama Administration's global agenda.

Polaski testified before the Subcommittee on Terrorism, Nonproliferation and Trade, and the Subcommittee on International Organizations, Human Rights and Oversight.

Tampa, Fla. – The U.S. Department of Labor has sued Medipharm-RX Inc., a former Tampa pharmacy, and two plan administrators to restore losses to the pharmacy's 401(k) plan.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration surveys employers to collect workplace injury and illness data it uses to identify employers whose injury and illness rates are considerably higher than the national average. A letter has been sent to about 15,000 workplaces with the highest numbers of injuries and illnesses resulting in days away from work, restricted work activities or job transfers, known as the DART rate.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration is extending the comment period on the proposed rule to revise the Occupational Injury and Illness Recording and Reporting (recordkeeping) regulation to March 30, 2010.

OREGON, Ohio – The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration has cited BP North American Inc. and BP-Husky Refining LLC's refinery in Oregon, Ohio, with 42 alleged willful violations, including 39 on a per-instance basis, and 20 alleged serious violations for exposing workers to a variety of hazards including failure to provide adequate pressure relief for process units. Proposed penalties total $3,042,000.

WASHINGTON – Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis today issued the following statement on International Women's Day:

"As a product of the women's movement, the social justice movement and the civil rights movement, I have seen how far we have come in advancing the role of women in our country and around the globe. I also see how much further we have yet to go in supporting women and girls to ensure equality and opportunity in our workplaces, our schools and in our communities as a whole.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced a $297,000 grant to provide an estimated 280 jobless workers with partial premium payments for health insurance coverage.

"Unemployment should not affect a family's health and safety," said Assistant Secretary of Labor for Employment and Training Jane Oates. "This grant will help provide peace of mind by assisting eligible workers with health insurance premium payments while they look for new jobs."

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced a $786,901 grant to assist about 183 workers affected by layoffs at BAE Systems Inc. in Fridley, Minn.

"While we are seeing positive signs in our economy, we won't be satisfied until all unemployed workers are able to quickly prepare for and enter good jobs that lead to long-term careers," said Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis. "Today's grant will provide these Minnesotans with the re-employment and retraining services necessary to find new jobs in promising industries,"

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor has announced a $2,769,323 National Emergency Grant increment to continue clean-up and recovery efforts in the wake of damage caused by Hurricane Gustav in Louisiana in 2008.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor has announced a $341,844 National Emergency Grant award to assist in clean-up and recovery efforts in the wake of severe storms and flooding that occurred in Arkansas in December 2009.

WASHINGTON – U.S. Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis issued the following statement on the February 2010 Employment Situation report released today:

"This past February, the economy lost 36,000 jobs, and the unemployment rate held at 9.7 percent.

U.S. Department of Labor’s ERISA Advisory Council announces first meeting of 2010

Washington – The Advisory Council on Employee Welfare and Pension Benefit Plans, also known as the ERISA Advisory Council, will hold its first meeting of 2010 on March 22 in Washington, D.C., at the U.S. Department of Labor, 200 Constitution Avenue NW, Room S-2508.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced that approximately 5,500 workers from companies in 12 states – California, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas and Vermont – are eligible to apply for Trade Adjustment Assistance.

Suite of resources to level playing field for those applying for employment and training funds

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today launched an online suite of resources for grant applicants. Created by the department s Employment and Training Administration, the new site will introduce potential grantees to ETA grants and provide examples to guide people through the process of applying.

SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA In the week ending Feb. 27, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 469,000, a decrease of 29,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 498,000. The 4-week moving average was 470,750, a decrease of 3,500 from the previous week's revised average of 474,250.

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 3.5 percent for the week ending Feb. 20, a decrease of 0.1 percentage point from the prior week's revised rate of 3.6 percent.

LIMA, Ohio — Husky Energy Corp., a petroleum refinery located in Lima, has paid $969,182 in back wages to 173 workers for unpaid overtime compensation after the U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division determined the company had violated the overtime pay provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act.

Waupun, Wis. – The U.S. Department of Labor has sued a trustee of the Westra Construction Inc. Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) for alleged violations of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) that resulted in losses to the company-sponsored ESOP.

Cherry Hill, New Jersey — The U.S. Department of Labor has obtained a court order appointing Jacqueline Carmichael as the independent fiduciary of the 401(k) plan of ABC Wireless Inc., a defunct company formerly located in Cherry Hill. The court order gives Carmichael authority to terminate the plan and distribute plan assets to participants and beneficiaries.

Las Vegas – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Employee Benefits Security Administration and the Nevada Division of Insurance will host a free health law compliance assistance seminar on March 16 and 17 in Las Vegas at the College of Southern Nevada, Charleston Campus, 6375 W. Charleston Blvd., Room D-101.