KANSAS CITY, MO ‒ To raise awareness about grain engulfment prevention and other hazards in the grain handling industry, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the National Grain and Feed Association (NGFA) formed an alliance to provide information, guidance, and access to resources to help protect employees.

In the week ending March 31, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 242,000, an increase of 24,000 from the previous week's revised level. The previous week's level was revised up by 3,000 from 215,000 to 218,000. The 4-week moving average was 228,250, an increase of 3,000 from the previous week's revised average. The previous week's average was revised up by 750 from 224,500 to 225,250.

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WASHINGTON, DC – President Donald J. Trump’s Administration is committed to reducing recidivism and breaking the cycle of crime to make American communities safer.  As part of that effort, the U.S. Department of Labor today announced an $82.5 million investment to help Americans exit incarceration and integrate into the workforce.

OMAHA, NE – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has cited Omaha-based plumbing contractor Gavrooden Inc. for the second time in less than six months for failing to protect its workers from excavation collapse hazards. Gavrooden Inc., doing business as Mr. Rooter Plumbing, faces proposed penalties of $38,061.

TAMPA, FL – Investigations by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division into rebuilding efforts in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma have resulted in 11 roofing companies paying $239,893 in back wages to 259 employees for violations of the overtime and recordkeeping provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).

CAMDEN, NJ – Two companies that operate 17 Houlihan’s franchisee restaurants in New Jersey and New York and their owner Arnold Runestad will pay $5,000,000 in back wages and liquidated damages to 1,471 current and former employees to resolve a U.S. Department of Labor lawsuit alleging violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). The agreement is part of a consent judgment filed on April 2, 2018, that is pending review and approval by the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey.

KENNETT SQUARE, PA – The U.S. Department of Labor has filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania against Blown Away Dry Bar and Salon and its owners, Jennifer and Rand Singer, for allegedly terminating a hairstylist whose husband reported hazards to the Department’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).

NEWARK, NJ – After a U.S. Department of Labor investigation, the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey has sentenced Paul Moe, Sr., a member of the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) and general foreman for a Port Elizabeth terminal operator, to 24 months in prison for fraudulently collecting a nearly $500,000 annual salary, much of which was for work he never performed. The court also sentenced Moe to three years of supervised release and ordered him to pay $749,000 in restitution.

HONOLULU, HI – After a U.S. Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division (WHD) investigation, the owners of four Ichiriki Japanese Nabe Restaurants on Oahu will pay $60,721 in overtime owed to 62 employees to resolve pay violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).

LUMBERTON, NC – After an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division, a U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina has ordered Del Sol Partnership 2 Inc. and its owner, Pablo Salgado, to pay $144,884 in back wages and liquidated damages to 15 employees for violating the overtime, minimum wage, and recordkeeping provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).

WESTBURY, NY – After an investigation and litigation by the U.S. Department of Labor, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York has ordered Casa Concrete Inc., a provider of concrete services, and its officers, Alice Fernandes and Manuel Fernandes, to pay $412,000 in back wages and liquidated damages to 20 employees for violating the overtime and recordkeeping provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).

BLACKWOOD, NJ – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has cited Blackwood-based AP Construction Inc. for safety violations after an employee suffered fatal injuries while working on a Camden waterfront construction project.

In the week ending March 24, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 215,000, a decrease of 12,000 from the previous week's revised level. This is the lowest level for initial claims since January 27, 1973 when it was 214,000. The previous week's level was revised down by 2,000 from 229,000 to 227,000. The 4-week moving average was 224,500, a decrease of 500 from the previous week's revised average. The previous week's average was revised up by 1,250 from 223,750 to 225,000.

ATLANTA, GA – After a U.S. Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division investigation, Insight Global LLC will pay $354,978 in back wages to 14 employees for violating provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and the McNamara-O’Hara Service Contract Act (SCA). The Atlanta-based staffing and consulting company committed the violations during performance as a subcontractor to Hewlett Packard on an information technology contract with the U.S. Department of the Navy.

URBANDALE, IA – After a U.S. Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division investigation, majority owner of two Iowa restaurants Gloria Ochoa has paid $833,992 in back wages to 64 employees to resolve federal wage violations, including falsifying payroll and time records and failing to pay required minimum wages and overtime. Wage and Hour Division investigators determined that Ochoa, majority owner of Rojas LLC and Ocha Inc., which do business as El Rodeo Mexican Restaurants in Urbandale and in Clive, violated the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).

PHOENIX, AZ – After a U.S. Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division investigation, the U.S. District Court of Arizona entered a consent judgment that requires Scottsdale construction contractor MNI Enterprises Inc. to pay $214,392 in back wages to 145 employees for violating the overtime provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). The court also ordered the employer to pay an additional $25,608 in penalties because of the willful and repeated nature of the violations found.

BLAIRS, VA – After an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA), the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Virginia has sentenced Felix Rafael Ginorio to time served plus two years supervised release, and has ordered him to pay restitution of $87,276 for stealing from an employee benefit plan, and failing to pay federal taxes.

SEATTLE, WA – After a U.S. Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division investigation, Rivera Orchards Inc. has paid $19,297 in penalties to resolve Migrant and Seasonal Agricultural Worker Protection Act (MSPA) violations that posed a direct and imminent threat to its employees.

SAN DIEGO, CA – After a U.S. Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division investigation, the Department has reached a settlement with A&D General Contracting Inc., the prime contractor on two federally funded local projects, to pay 16 landscaping employees $52,969 in back wages after its subcontractor Amigos Design Build Landscapes Inc. failed to pay legally required prevailing wages and later declared bankruptcy.

BOSTON, MA - The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has ordered Jet Logistics Inc. (JLI) and New England Life Flight Inc. - doing business as Boston MedFlight (BMF) - to reinstate a pilot who lost his job after complaining about what he reasonably believed were violations of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulations.