ARLINGTON, Va. – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Mine Safety and Health Administration announced today the availability of up to $1 million in grants for education and training programs to help identify, avoid and prevent unsafe working conditions in and around the nation’s mines.

In the week ending February 4, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 234,000, a decrease of 12,000 from the previous week's unrevised level of 246,000. The 4-week moving average was 244,250, a decrease of 3,750 from the previous week's unrevised average of 248,000. This is the lowest level for this average since November 3, 1973 when it was 244,000.

State: Washington

Type of Award: National Dislocated Worker Grant supplemental

Supplemental Amount Approved: $2,000,000

Total Funds Awarded: $10,086,385

Funding Awarded to: Pacific Mountain Workforce Consortium

Number of Workers Served: Approximately 2,100

WASHINGTON – Acting U.S. Secretary of Labor Ed Hugler today issued a statement following the release of President Trump’s memorandum on the Department of Labor’s Fiduciary Rule:

“The Department of Labor will now consider its legal options to delay the applicability date as we comply with the President’s memorandum.”

In the week ending January 28, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 246,000, a decrease of 14,000 from the previous week's revised level. The previous week's level was revised up by 1,000 from 259,000 to 260,000. The 4-week moving average was 248,000, an increase of 2,250 from the previous week's revised average. The previous week's average was revised up by 250 from 245,500 to 245,750.

In the week ending January 21, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 259,000, an increase of 22,000 from the previous week's revised level. The previous week's level was revised up by 3,000 from 234,000 to 237,000. The 4-week moving average was 245,500, a decrease of 2,000 from the previous week's revised average. This is the lowest level for this average since November 3, 1973 when it was 244,000. The previous week's average was revised up by 750 from 246,750 to 247,500.

State: Wyoming

Type of Award: National Dislocated Worker Grant

Award Amount Approved: $2,000,000

Initial Amount Released: $1,080,465

Funding Awarded to: Wyoming Department of Workforce Services

Number of Workers Served: Approximately 140

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor announced today that it has signed an agreement with Amazon to establish a registered apprenticeship program to train veterans for in-demand technical careers at the online technology giant.

Deputy U.S. Secretary of Labor Chris Lu and Vice President, Global Talent Acquisition at Amazon Web Services Ardine Williams joined in a ceremony at the department’s national headquarters to mark the occasion.

In the week ending January 14, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 234,000, a decrease of 15,000 from the previous week's revised level. The previous week's level was revised up by 2,000 from 247,000 to 249,000. The 4-week moving average was 246,750, a decrease of 10,250 from the previous week's revised average. This is the lowest level for this average since November 3, 1973 when it was 244,000. The previous week's average was revised up by 500 from 256,500 to 257,000.

Employer: Cintas Fire Protection Services

Sites: 2188 Del Franco St., #70
San Jose, California

GREEN BAY, Wis. – In less than 10 days in 2016, two employees at a Green Bay muffler component manufacturer suffered severe injuries as they operated machinery without adequate safety guards and procedures in place, federal workplace safety investigators have determined.

NEW YORK – A hotel management company and the company which supplied employees to nine of its New York City hotels have agreed to resolve an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division that found violations of the minimum wage, overtime and recordkeeping requirements of the Fair Labor Standards Act.

BOSTON – The National Railroad Passenger Corp., better known as Amtrak, retaliated against a supervisory special agent in its inspector general’s office when he raised concerns about railroad safety, fraud and abuse involving an Amtrak contractor and when he supported a fellow agent’s safety concerns during an internal investigation, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration has found.

State: Pennsylvania

Type of Award: National Dislocated Worker Grant

Award Amount Approved/Released: $238,049

Funding Awarded to: Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry

Number of Workers Served: Approximately 39

State: Tennessee

Type of Award: National Dislocated Worker Grant

Award Amount Approved: $5,824,000

Initial Amount Released: $2,000,000

Funding Awarded to: Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development

Number of Workers Served: Approximately 200

Who: The U.S. Department of Labor’s Mine Safety and Health Administration

What: The Mine Safety and Health Administration announced federal inspectors issued 132 citations and two orders during special impact inspections conducted at 10 coal mines and five metal and nonmetal mines in December 2016.

Where: MSHA conducted special impact inspections at mines in Alabama, Illinois, Kentucky, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Washington, West Virginia and Wyoming.

COSHOCTON, Ohio – A follow-up inspection by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration found a casting and foundry facility operator continues to expose workers to machine and fall hazards at its Coshocton plant.

On Jan. 17, 2017, the agency issued SanCasT Inc. three repeated, and four serious safety violations carrying proposed penalties of $235,879. The agency cited the company for similar violations in both 2013 and 2014.

SAN FRANCISCO – The U.S. Department of Labor has filed a lawsuit against Oracle America, Inc. alleging the leading technology company has a systemic practice of paying Caucasian male workers more than their counterparts in the same job title, which led to pay discrimination against female, African American and Asian employees.

NEW YORK – The U.S. Department of Labor filed a lawsuit against JPMorgan Chase & Co., alleging that the financial institution systematically discriminated against female employees in certain professional positions by compensating them less than their male counterparts. The suit maintains that JPMorgan’s compensation policies and practices violated Executive Order 11246, which prohibits federal contractors from discriminating in employment on the basis of sex.

Date of Action: Jan. 17, 2017

Type of Action: Employee Retirement Income Security Act lawsuit

Names of Defendants: Sandor Szajkovics
Passages Hospice LLC
Passages Hospice LLC Dental Plan, Passages Hospice LLC Employee Benefits Plan