WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced the Green Jobs Innovation Fund competition to support opportunities for workers to receive job training in green industry sectors and occupations. Through this competition, the department will award approximately $40 million to support five to eight grantees with awards ranging from $5 million to $8 million each. Eligible applicants will include national and statewide organizations with local affiliates that have existing career training programs and will benefit a minimum of six communities per grant.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor's Veterans' Employment and Training Service, known as VETS, has proposed a rule establishing a uniform national threshold performance level to be applied to state grantees that provide employment services to veterans.

CINCINNATI – The third-party administrator to 56 employee benefit plans – most covered by the Employee Retirement Income Security Act – located throughout Ohio and several other states pleaded guilty to one count of embezzlement of $1 million in assets from 12 retirement plans.

The additional locations of the plans are Beth Park and Ford City, Pa.; South Plainfield, N.J.; Waltham, Mass.; Anderson, Ind.; Saco, Maine; and Orange Beach, Ala.

PASADENA, Calif. – The U.S. Department of Labor's Women's Bureau yesterday hosted a conference on best flexibility practices for hourly-wage employees at the Pasadena Convention Center, drawing about 400 attendees. "Challenges and Solutions for Hourly Workers" is part of the Women's Bureau's National Dialogue on Workplace Flexibility, a series of events building on the goals of the March 2010 White House Flexibility Forum.

SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA In the week ending Feb. 12, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 410,000, an increase of 25,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 385,000. The 4-week moving average was 417,750, an increase of 1,750 from the previous week's revised average of 416,000.

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 3.1 percent for the week ending Feb. 5, unchanged from the prior week's unrevised rate of 3.1 percent.

ARLINGTON, Va. – The U.S. Department of Labor's Mine Safety and Health Administration today announced that federal inspectors issued 377 citations and orders during special impact inspections conducted at 15 coal and seven metal/nonmetal mine operations last month. The coal mines were issued 208 citations and seven orders; the metal/nonmetal mines were issued 148 citations and 14 orders.

WASHINGTON — Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis today announced that the U.S. Department of Labor has presented the 2010 Iqbal Masih Award for the Elimination of Child Labor to the Firestone Agricultural Workers Union of Liberia.

"This award recognizes the extraordinary efforts of the Firestone Agricultural Workers Union to combat the worst forms of child labor internationally," said Secretary Solis. "The group serves as a model to others, showing that progress is possible and worth the effort."

ARLINGTON, Va. – The U.S. Department of Labor's Mine Safety and Health Administration today announced that it will split the agency's jurisdiction over southern West Virginia coal mines into two separate districts, a process that will begin in the second quarter of fiscal year 2011. Of the nation's 2,100 coal mines, approximately 400 fall within the existing District 4 boundaries.

Agency doing everything possible to support good, safe jobs

Budget reflects fiscal responsibility while investing in job training and worker protection

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today outlined its part of the president's fiscal year 2012 budget request to Congress. The department's budget request focuses on efficiently achieving the department's goals while exercising fiscal restraint.

SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA In the week ending Feb. 5, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 383,000, a decrease of 36,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 419,000. The 4-week moving average was 415,500, a decrease of 16,000 from the previous week's revised average of 431,500.

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 3.1 percent for the week ending Jan. 29, unchanged from the prior week's unrevised rate of 3.1 percent.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced a $4,883,709 grant to assist about 1,000 workers affected by layoffs and closures at 21 companies in multiple industries, including three auto suppliers, located throughout Kentucky.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced the availability of approximately $11.7 million in grant funds to serve adult offenders who are returning from incarceration to high-poverty, high-crime communities. The purpose of these grants is to provide an employment-centered approach to reintegration that improves long-term labor market prospects for ex-offenders.

Mine deaths are not inevitable, says agency head

ARLINGTON, Va. – The U.S. Department of Labor's Mine Safety and Health Administration today issued a fatality alert to the mining community profiling the causes of and circumstances surrounding the 71 fatal accidents that occurred last year.

HOUSTON — The U.S. Department of Labor has announced the filing of a lawsuit against Houston-based Kinder Morgan Inc. and Kinder Morgan Energy Partners LP for their failure to pay more than $1 million in overtime compensation to approximately 4,500 current and former operators, technicians, maintenance workers, laborers and administrative nonexempt employees in violation of the Fair Labor Standards Act.

WASHINGTON – Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis today issued the following statement regarding the extension of the Trade Adjustment Assistance program as amended by the Trade and Globalization Adjustment Assistance Act of 2009:

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – The U.S. Department of Labor has obtained a court judgment appointing an independent fiduciary to manage the retirement savings plan of Shawnee Hills Inc., a defunct mental health hospital formerly located in Charleston.

Under the judgment, entered in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia, G Trust of Topeka, Kan., was appointed as the independent fiduciary with authority to manage the plan, distribute assets to plan participants and beneficiaries, and terminate the plan.

PITTSBURGH – The U.S. Department of Labor has sued Liberty-Pittsburgh Systems Inc. of Pittsburgh and its chief executive officer, Kevin T. Weir, for failing to remit employee contributions to its 401(k) plan in violation of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act.

The lawsuit alleges that from January 2007 through December 2009 the defendants failed to remit employee contributions or participant loan repayments to the plan, and remitted certain contributions and loan repayments to the plan late without interest.

TOLEDO, Ohio – While in Ohio today, Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis announced a $2,932,835 National Emergency Grant supplemental award to provide services to an additional 729 workers affected by layoffs at Wilmington Air Park in Wilmington, Ohio. Following an initial grant in November 2008 and one other previous award of supplemental funding with dislocated workers added as more layoffs occurred, a total of approximately 2,360 individuals now will be served.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced the availability of approximately $20 million in grants through its Civic Justice Corps program. Projects funded through these grants will help juvenile offenders gain valuable jobs skills, and participants will demonstrate accountability for their actions through community service.