WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced a $2,199,132 grant to assist approximately 574 workers affected by layoffs from automotive industry suppliers across Missouri and in nearby Kansas.

"Today's grant will allow affected Missourians to receive skills assessment, training and job search assistance to transition into new occupations within the local area," said Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced a $500,000 grant to assist approximately 275 workers affected by layoffs at International Paper in Bastrop, La.

"Today's grant will aid affected Louisianians by providing training and employment services to help prepare them for new careers," said Deputy Assistant Secretary for Employment and Training Douglas F. Small.

Recovery Act also extends Emergency Unemployment Compensation

WASHINGTON – Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis today announced a weekly increase in unemployment compensation, as provided for in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, enacted on Feb. 17.

The new temporary Federal Additional Compensation program will provide a $25 weekly increase in unemployment compensation for eligible workers. These extra benefits are 100 percent federally-funded.

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor has notified all former Mallinckrodt Chemical Co., Destrehan Street Plant workers 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 published information to help employers, workers and their families understand the COBRA stimulus provisions under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has cited St. Louis, Mo.-based G.S. Robins & Co., doing business as Ro-Corp Inc., for alleged willful, repeat and serious violations of federal workplace safety standards, proposing more than $1.2 million in penalties for numerous violations relating to the handling of hazardous chemicals at the company's facility in East St. Louis.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has cited A-1 Excavating Inc., Bloomer, Wis., for alleged willful violations of federal workplace safety standards, proposing nearly $700,000 in penalties for numerous life-threatening violations at a trenching operation in Weston, Wis.

Seattle – The U.S. Department of Labor has sued Seatoma Convalescent Center of Des Moines, Washington, to give workers access to nearly $14,000 in profit-sharing trust assets. The nursing home facility allegedly failed to fulfill its fiduciary duties to participants covered by the plan.

Atlanta – The U.S. Department of Labor has sued Tim J. Manson III for violating provisions of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA).

Filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee, the lawsuit alleges that the defendant failed to exercise due diligence when he appointed Kenneth Combs as trustee for the Standard Coosa Thatcher (SCT) Yarns pension plans.

UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE WEEKLY CLAIMS REPORT

SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA In the week ending Feb. 14, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 627,000, unchanged from the previous week's revised figure of 627,000. The 4-week moving average was 619,000, an increase of 10,500 from the previous week's revised average of 608,500.

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 3.7 percent for the week ending Feb. 7, an increase of 0.1 percentage point from the prior week's unrevised rate of 3.6 percent.

Atlanta – The U.S. Department of Labor has sued Renewable Resources Inc. of Cookeville, Tennessee, for failing to fulfill its fiduciary duties to participants covered by the Renewable Resources Inc. Profit Sharing Plan and Trust.

UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE WEEKLY CLAIMS REPORT

SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA In the week ending Feb. 7, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 623,000, a decrease of 8,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 631,000. The 4-week moving average was 607,500, an increase of 24,000 from the previous week's revised average of 583,500.

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 3.6 percent for the week ending Jan. 31, unchanged from the prior week's unrevised rate of 3.6 percent.

Atlanta – The U.S. Department of Labor has sued A.L. Johnson Co. and its chief executive officer, Artis L. Johnson, to appoint a new independent fiduciary of the company’s 401(k) profit-sharing plan and recover more than $60,171 in assets.

The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia, alleges that the defendants violated the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) in 2003, 2004 and 2005.

Mokena, Illinois – The U.S. Department of Labor has sued the chief executive officer and fiduciary to the retirement plan of TMG National Holdings for improperly using plan assets withheld from employees’ pay for the benefit of the company and other violations of the federal Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA).

Herndon, Virginia – The U.S. Department of Labor has sued Answers Inc. and 401(k) trustee Cynthia Chambliss to obtain appointment of an independent fiduciary to manage the plan. Answers Inc. is a defunct company formerly located in Herndon that operated under the names Answer Transit Services LLC and Answer Transit Services Corp.

Washington - The U.S. Department of Labor’s Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) today released Field Assistance Bulletin (FAB) 2009-01 concerning new disclosure requirements mandated by the Pension Protection Act of 2006 (PPA).

Washington – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) will host its first of a series of free webcasts on February 19 from noon to 2 p.m. EST to help employers and service providers prepare for changes in the requirements of the 2009 Form 5500 reports and a preview of the new electronic filing Web site.

Atlanta – The U.S. Department of Labor has sued Hoyla Insurance Group of Kennesaw, Georgia, and Michael Hoyla to recover employee contributions commingled with company funds and distribute assets remaining in the company’s abandoned 401(k) plan.

WASHINGTON – Acting U.S. Secretary of Labor Edward C. Hugler issued the following statement on the January 2009 Employment Situation report released today: