January 9, 2009

Findings of most extensive employer survey ever on people with disabilities released by U.S. Labor Departments Office of Disability Employment Policy

Agency also makes available business case on value of employees with disabilities

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) today released findings of the most extensive survey in history of employers' actions and attitudes toward employing people with disabilities. The report is available at www.dol.gov/odep.

January 8, 2009

Mine deaths fell to all-time low in 2008

ARLINGTON, Va. Preliminary data from the U.S. Department of Labor's Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) released today show that mine fatalities in 2008 fell to an all-time low recording a 31 percent drop from 2007. Metal/nonmetal mines recorded the lowest level of fatalities in that sector of mining since statistics were first recorded in 1910, and the fatality level in coal mines was the lowest recorded number since 2005.

January 8, 2009

ETA Press Release: Unemployment Insurance Weekly Claims Report

UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE WEEKLY CLAIMS REPORT

SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA In the week ending Jan. 3, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 467,000, a decrease of 24,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 491,000. The 4-week moving average was 525,750, a decrease of 27,000 from the previous week's revised average of 552,750.

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 3.4 percent for the week ending Dec. 27, unchanged from the prior week's unrevised rate of 3.4 percent.

January 8, 2009

U.S. Department of Labor announces digital snapshot
project to archive content of all departmental Web sites

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor today announced that it will launch an online digital library to archive its Web sites under a contract with the San Francisco-based Internet Archive.

Through an on-demand system, the Web Snapshot Initiative was designed to capture the content of all departmental Web sites for historical purposes — thus documenting the department's missions, goals and programs on the site as of mid-January 2009.

January 7, 2009

U.S. Department of Labor sues Mondsview, Minnesota, trucking company for abandoning profit-sharing and 401(k) plan

Archived News Release — Caution: Information may be out of date.

Mondsview, Minnesota – The U.S. Department of Labor has sued Hyman Freightways Inc., formerly located in Mondsview, for allegedly abandoning its profit-sharing and 401(k) plan in violation of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act after the company ceased operations in October 1997.

 

January 7, 2009

U.S. Department of Labor recovers more than $750,000 for Georgia Plumbers Trade Association Health Plan

Archived News Release — Caution: Information may be out of date.

Atlanta – The U.S. Department of Labor has obtained consent judgments restoring an additional $250,000 to the Georgia Plumbers Trade Association Health Plan in Griffin, Georgia, and requiring the payment of a $50,000 civil penalty to the federal government. Earlier this year, the court ordered restitution of more than $500,000 for losses suffered by the plan.

January 6, 2009

Statement of US Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis on death of Agustin Bobby Salcedo

SAN FRANCISCO – U.S. Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis today issued the following statement regarding the death of Agustin "Bobby" Salcedo:

"I want to express my deepest sympathies to the family and friends of Agustin 'Bobby' Salcedo. The untimely and senseless death of this young Latino leader touches many lives in El Monte and the greater Los Angeles area.

January 5, 2009

Higher and higher: OFCCP wins record annual number of financial remedies for more American workers than ever before

WASHINGTON – In fiscal year (FY) 2008, the U.S. Department of Labors Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) won a record $67,510,982 in back pay, salary and benefits for an unprecedented 24,508 American workers who had been subjected to unlawful employment discrimination.

January 5, 2009

Higher and higher: OFCCP wins record annual number of
financial remedies for more American workers than ever before

WASHINGTON — In fiscal year (FY) 2008, the U.S. Department of Labors Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) won a record $67,510,982 in back pay, salary and benefits for an unprecedented 24,508 American workers who had been subjected to unlawful employment discrimination.

January 2, 2009

U.S. Department of Labors Wage and Hour Division collects more than $185 million wage recovery for FY 2008

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division (WHD) today announced its enforcement data for Fiscal Year (FY) 2008. In FY 2008, WHD recouped back wages totaling $185,287,827 for 228,645 workers. This represents a 40 percent increase over the FY 2001 figure. Since FY 2001, WHD has recouped more than $1.4 billion back wages for over two million workers.

January 2, 2009

U.S. Labor Department sues to protect 401(k) assets of defunct piping company in St. Amant, Louisiana

Archived News Release — Caution: Information may be out of date.

St. Amant, Louisiana – The U.S. Department of Labor has sued to appoint an independent fiduciary to manage the Highland Fabricators Inc. 401 (k) Plan in St. Amant and distribute $85,981 in assets to 38 participants of the abandoned 401(k) plan. The Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) requires plans be managed by a named plan fiduciary.

December 31, 2008

U.S. Department of Labor finalizes civil penalty rules under the Pension Protection Act

Archived News Release — Caution: Information may be out of date.

Washington —The U.S. Department of Labor today announced a final regulation implementing the department’s authority to assess civil penalties against plan administrators who fail to disclose certain documents to participants, beneficiaries and others as required by the Employee Retirement Income Security Act, as amended by the Pension Protection Act (PPA).

December 23, 2008

U.S. Department of Labor sues corporate parent of Academic Financial Services and trustees to restore losses to Tampa 401(k) plan

Archived News Release — Caution: Information may be out of date.

Atlanta – The U.S. Department of Labor has sued Business Financial Solutions Inc., which operated as Academic Financial Services, and trustees of its 401(k) plan, for alleged violations of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) involving delinquent employee and employer contributions owed to the plan.

December 23, 2008

U.S. Labor Department sues defunct Memphis, Tennessee, heating and air conditioning maintenance company for abandoning 401(k) plan

Archived News Release — Caution: Information may be out of date.

Memphis, Tennessee – The U.S. Department of Labor has sued defunct Stephens Brothers Inc. of Memphis for abandonment of its 401(k) plan in violation of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act.

December 23, 2008

U.S. Labor Department sues to recover retirement assets for 401(k) participants of defunct San Jose, California, company

Archived News Release — Caution: Information may be out of date.

San Francisco – The U.S. Department of Labor has sued Power & Data Technology, San Jose, California, and its president to recover $39,325 and distribute the assets remaining in the company’s abandoned 401(k) profit-sharing plan. The defunct company manufactured and distributed electrical components.

December 22, 2008

U.S. Department of Labor sues to protect participants of defunct New Jersey company’s employee benefit plan

Archived News Release — Caution: Information may be out of date.

Philadelphia — The U.S. Department of Labor has sued to obtain appointment of an independent fiduciary to oversee the 401(k) plan of C.R. Warner Inc., a defunct New Jersey company.

“We filed this case to ensure that the plan participants were able to recoup their retirement savings,” said Mabel Capolongo, regional director of the department’s Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) in Philadelphia.

December 22, 2008

U.S. Labor Department obtains default judgment against West Chester, Pennsylvania, company to protect participants of abandoned retirement plan

Archived News Release — Caution: Information may be out of date.

Pittsburgh – The U.S. Department of Labor has obtained a default judgment removing West Chester, Pennsylvania-based Five Star Industrial Services Inc. as fiduciary of the company’s 401(k) profit-sharing plan and appointing Metro Benefits Inc. to be the plan’s independent fiduciary.

December 22, 2008

U.S. Department of Labor sues former employee leasing company in Brentwood, Tennessee, to protect workers’ 401(k) plan assets

Archived News Release — Caution: Information may be out of date.

Atlanta – The U.S. Department of Labor has sued Midland Employer Services of Brentwood, Tennessee, for failing to fulfill its fiduciary duties to the company’s 401(k) plan in violation of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA).

December 19, 2008

Chicago contractor indicted for stealing from union employee benefit plans

Archived News Release — Caution: Information may be out of date.

Chicago - On Thursday December 18 a federal grand jury in Chicago, Illinois, indicted Beny Garneata for embezzlement and false statements related to the employee benefit plans of the Chicago Journeymen Plumbers’ Union Local 130 and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Union Local 134.

December 17, 2008

U.S. Labor Departments Office of Labor-Management Standards continues fiscal year with strong results

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Labor-Management Standards (OLMS) today announced its criminal enforcement data for November 2008. During the month, OLMS obtained five convictions and eight indictments, and payments or orders of restitution totaled more than $891,000. The office's November results bring its totals for fiscal year 2009, which began on Oct. 1, 2008, to 18 indictments, 15 convictions and payments or orders of restitution of $1,516,522. The bulk of the cases involved the embezzlement of union funds.