WASHINGTON, DC – ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­ The U.S. Department of Labor today released an update of its annual child labor report – representing the most comprehensive research product to date on the state of child labor in over 130 countries worldwide. The Department simultaneously released a new mobile app, Comply Chain, designed to help businesses root out child labor and forced labor from global supply chains.

CARMEL, IN – An Indiana construction contractor has paid $103,788 in back wages to 29 employees working on a U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development project to renovate the Flagstone Village apartment complex in Hammond.

INDIANAPOLIS, IN – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division and a large Midwest health care management company have reached an agreement to resolve overtime violations at 23 skilled nursing and assisted living facilities in Iowa, Illinois, and Indiana.

Ide Management Group LLC, which operates the facilities as IMG, has agreed to pay 594 workers $165,379 in back wages and damages.

MISSOULA, MT – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the U.S. Forest Service (USFS)-Northern Division, and the National Federation of Federal Employees (NFFE)-Northern Region have signed a two-year alliance to promote safe practices in Montana and North and South Dakota’s forestry, logging, firefighting, and natural resource industries.

DENVER, CO – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division is conducting a statewide survey of wages paid to workers on heavy construction projects in North Dakota to establish prevailing wage rates required under the Davis-Bacon and Related Acts (DBRA).

The agency is seeking data from employers and interested parties on wages paid to workers on all active heavy construction projects in North Dakota from June 1, 2016, through May 31, 2017. The survey is not limited to federal or federally funded construction projects.

NEWBERRY, SC – A federal court has ordered a South Carolina company providing laborers to a turkey processing plant to pay four disabled workers $165,402 in back wages and liquidated damages after the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division found the employer violated the minimum wage, overtime, and recordkeeping provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).

SCOTT, LA – A Southwest Louisiana company that tests soil and concrete density for construction projects has entered into an agreement with the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division to resolve violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).

WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Labor announced employee benefit plan compliance guidance and relief for victims of Hurricane Irma that parallels that which it already provided to victims of Hurricane Harvey regarding verification procedures for plan loans and distributions, participant contributions and loan payments, blackout notices, and group health plan compliance. The Hurricane Harvey relief was announced on Aug. 30, 2017, in EBSA Release Number 17-1216-NAT.

WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Labor has initially committed up to $40 million in Disaster Dislocated Worker Grant funding to Florida, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands to assist in disaster response efforts after Hurricane Irma. These grants were first announced on Tuesday, Sept. 12, 2017. The amount of total funding announced today may increase as the needs and impacts on state and local partners are assessed following the hurricane.

In the week ending September 9, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 284,000, a decrease of 14,000 from the previous week's unrevised level of 298,000. The 4-week moving average was 263,250, an increase of 13,000 from the previous week's unrevised average of 250,250. This is the highest level for this average since August 13, 2016 when it was 263,250.

DETROIT, MI – Henry Ford Health System has paid $90,004 in back wages to 22 workers in the Detroit hospital’s cardiac sonography department to resolve violations of overtime and record-keeping provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) found by the U.S. Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division.

ARLINGTON, VA – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) today published two proposed rules in the Federal Register that would change the Agency’s final rule on Examinations of Working Places in Metal and Nonmetal Mines that was published on Jan. 23, 2017.

INDIANAPOLIS, IN – The U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division and a large Midwest health care management company have reached an agreement to resolve overtime violations at 23 skilled nursing and assisted living facilities in Iowa, Illinois, and Indiana.

Ide Management Group LLC, which operates the facilities as IMG, has agreed to pay 594 workers $165,379 in back wages and damages.

ELKHART, IN – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division and an Indiana recreational vehicle manufacturer have reached an agreement to resolve overtime and minimum wage violations at nine production plants in Elkhart and Wakarusa.

Thor Motor Co. of Elkhart, has paid 386 workers a total of $59,514 – representing $29,757 in back wages and an equal amount in damages.

WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Labor, in cooperation with state and local partners, is setting aside funding and will be making grants to assess workforce needs in the U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Florida, and other states in response to Hurricane Irma. The Department will continue to work cooperatively with states and territories to assess needs as they develop and respond accordingly. U.S. Secretary of Labor Alexander Acosta has directed the Department to assist the residents and businesses in affected areas.

ATLANTA, GA – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division is conducting a statewide survey of wages paid to workers in Tennessee on all active building construction projects to establish prevailing wage rates required under the Davis-Bacon and Related Acts.

EL PASO, TX – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the David L. Carrasco Job Corps Center have renewed an alliance to provide young workers in El Paso with information, guidance, and training to enhance the center’s health and safety culture.

EL PASO, TX – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the El Paso Community College – Risk Management Institute have signed an alliance to provide workers, students, and employers in El Paso with information, guidance, and access to OSHA training classes.

BALTIMORE, MD – A Virginia company that provided human resources and other services to federal agencies nationwide paid more than $3 million in back wages and fringe benefits to resolve the findings of a U.S. Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division investigation.

MEDLEY, FL – Hometown Foods USA – a commercial bakery doing business as Bagelmania Inc. – faces $129,145 in proposed penalties from the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) after investigators found workers at its Medley facility exposed to amputation, fire, and noise hazards.

OSHA cited the employer for 16 serious and other-than-serious safety and health violations after receiving a complaint alleging machine-guarding, forklift, and noise hazards.