May 17, 2016

US Labor Department announces availability of $80M in grants to provide job, leadership skills among disadvantaged youth

WASHINGTON – For youth who left high school early and lack a state equivalency diploma, a continuing education and career success can be a goal beyond reach. Throughout the nation, YouthBuild programs seek to help these young people in learning critical job skills in construction as a path to economic independence. 

May 16, 2016

FACT SHEET: White House and Department Of Labor Announce $21 Million for Summer and Year-Round Jobs For Young Americans And Launch Of 16 Summer Impact Hubs

“Access to a job in the summer and beyond can make all the difference to a young person – especially those who don’t have access to many resources and opportunities.”

- President Barack Obama

May 16, 2016

US Labor Department obtains order to stop Arlington restaurant owners from intimidating workers who cooperate with federal investigators

ARLINGTON, Va. – A suburban Washington, D.C.-area restaurant and its owners have entered into an agreement ensuring that they would not intimidate or retaliate against employees who cooperate with a U.S. Department of Labor wage and hour investigation and subsequent ongoing litigation. The owners also agreed to stop soliciting “waivers” from employees to relinquish their rights under the Fair Labor Standards Act.

May 16, 2016

Passaic distribution warehouse fined $112K for two dozen safety violations

Employer name: Oaxaca Mexican Products, 100 8th St., Passaic, New Jersey

Citations issued: The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration issued citations for one willful, 20 serious and three other-than-serious violations on May 3, 2016.

May 16, 2016

US Labor Department awards $1.4M in incremental funding for clean-up, recovery efforts in Texas after severe summer 2015 storms

State: Texas

Type of Award: National Dislocated Worker Grant

Initial Amount Approved: $2,155,068

Incremental Amount Awarded: $1,436,712

Funding Awarded to: Texas Workforce Commission

Number of Workers Served: Approximately 120

May 16, 2016

OSHA cites Alabama pallet manufacturer putting workers at risk of machinery, electrical and other hazards

Employer name: Southeast Forest Products Inc., doing business as Southeast Pallet & Box Co.

Inspection site: 4596 Washington Ferry Road, Montgomery, Alabama 36108

May 15, 2016

Statement of US Labor Secretary Thomas E. Perez on the ongoing labor dispute involving Verizon workers

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today issued the following statement on the ongoing labor dispute involving Verizon workers.

“A few days ago, U.S. Secretary of Labor Thomas E. Perez reached out to the parties in the ongoing labor dispute involving Verizon workers and invited them to meet with him in Washington in an effort to help the parties resolve a dispute that is affecting thousands of workers, their families, and the company.

May 13, 2016

Department sues Brogue, Pennsylvania, construction contractor to recover unpaid contributions to employees’ 401(k) profit-sharing plan

Date of Action: April 29, 2016

Type of Action: Complaint

Name(s) of Defendants: Tarry Bratton, B.C. Inc., B.C. Inc. 401(k) Profit Sharing Plan

May 12, 2016

Lack of emergency training at Houston coffee roaster cited by OSHA in deadly gas release that asphyxiated shift supervisor

Employer name: Atlantic Coffee Industrial Solutions LLC

Inspection site: 3900 Harrisburg Blvd., Houston

Citations issued: May 11, 2016

May 12, 2016

OSHA cites McAllen telecommunications company for safety failures that exposed workers to various dangers

Employer name: Cinch Connectors Inc.

Inspection Site: 6900 South Bentsen Rd., McAllen, TX 

Citations issued: May 6, 2016

May 12, 2016

MSHA increases attention on safety standards linked to mining deaths, encourages mine operators to monitor compliance

ARLINGTON, Va. – In a meeting with mining industry stakeholders today, the U.S.

May 12, 2016

US Department of Labor’s ongoing initiative to get hospitality workers the ‘bucks’ they’ve legally earned would make even ‘Bucky Badger’ proud

MADISON, Wis. – In a town where images of the state university’s mascot “Bucky Badger” are common in restaurants and hotels alike, U.S. Department of Labor investigators are actively engaged in an education and enforcement effort to make sure employers do not deny hospitality workers the “bucks” they have earned legally.

May 12, 2016

Bay Area medical center to pay nearly $38K to employee it fired illegally after the worker sought medical attention

Employers: Muir Orthopedics Specialists

Sites: 2625 Shadeland Drive, Walnut Creek, California

May 12, 2016

US Labor Department, European Commission roundtable addresses ways to help the long-term unemployed get back to work

WASHINGTON – The European Commission and the U.S. Department of Labor compared practices and policies used to fight against long-term unemployment at a roundtable discussion in Washington on May 11, 2016.

May 12, 2016

OSHA finds refrigeration warehouse lacked proper procedures for handling ammonia

Employer name: Ozburn-Hessey Logistics LLC
Fond Du Lac, Wisconsin

Citations issued: May 5, 2016

Investigation findings: The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration

May 12, 2016

Marion County contractor ignores fall, electrocution hazards, putting workers in serious, potentially fatal danger at Fairmount work site

Employer name: M&M Construction LLC, doing business as Michael Jones Contracting
1912 Constitution Drive, Fairmont, West Virginia

Inspection site: Locust Avenue, Fairmont, West Virginia

Citations issued:  The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration issued two willful and eight serious citations on April 29, 2016.

May 12, 2016

National Disability Employment Awareness Month 2016 theme announced

WASHINGTON – To reflect the important role disability plays in workforce diversity, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy today announced that the theme of 2016’s official National Disability Employment Awareness Month is “#InclusionWorks.”

May 12, 2016

Workplace amputation at a Georgia furniture manufacturer prompts OSHA investigation that uncovers amputation, other safety hazards

Employer name: Tritter Feefer Home Collection LLC

Investigation site: 200 East Lukken Industrial Drive, LaGrange, Georgia 30240

Citations issued: The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration issued citations to the employer on May 10 for one willful and four serious safety violations.

May 12, 2016

Vegetable supplier to major grocery chains assessed over $1.4M in civil money penalties after two-year federal investigation

Employer’s names: Red Diamond Enterprises Inc., doing business as Red Diamond Farms
German “Javier” Torres, president and owner

Investigation sites: Wimauma, Sarasota, Quincy and West Palm Beach, Florida

May 12, 2016

Excavation company ignores serious dangers again, leaves workers unprotected in underground trench to remove Naperville sewer line

Employer name: Kellenberger Plumbing & Underground, Elgin, Illinois

Inspection site: 2708 Showplace Drive, Naperville, Illinois

Citations issued: May 2, 2016