WASHINGTON — U.S. Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis and her fellow G20 labor and employment ministers today met with President Obama and presented him with their recommendations to meet the challenges that the economic crisis is posing for workers and their families worldwide.

A two-day meeting hosted by Secretary Solis, representing the first time that the ministers responsible for labor markets in the 20 largest economies in the world convened to help their nations' leaders coordinate labor market policy, concluded today.

WASHINGTON – Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis today issued the following statement on Equal Pay Day:

"Nearly a half century after the Equal Pay Act was enacted to ensure equal pay for equal work, this form of discrimination continues to impinge upon women's rights in the workplace. As women hold nearly half of this nation's jobs, their earnings have become even more central to families' economic well-being.

PISCATAWAY, N.J. — The U.S. Department of Labor has obtained a judgment against Raceway Petroleum and Nicholas Kambitsis to pay $3.9 million in unpaid overtime wages and liquidated damages to more than 700 of their former and current employees, predominantly gas attendants. Raceway Petroleum Inc., a Piscataway company with gas stations located throughout Central and Southern N.J., along with its owner Nicholas Kambitsis, will also pay $100,000 in civil money penalties.

WASHINGTON — On April 20 and 21, U.S. Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis will host the first ever meeting of the G20 labor and employment ministers. Ministers of countries that account for more than 85 percent of the global economy will gather at the U.S. Department of Labor to assess how the global economic crisis has affected employment worldwide. The ministers will compare experiences and policy responses, and offer recommendations for putting quality jobs at the heart of the global economic recovery.

Washington – Assistant Secretary of the Employee Benefits Security Administration Phyllis C. Borzi today issued the following statement regarding the Administration’s support of legislation to strengthen private single-employer defined benefit pension plans:

Tulsa, Oklahoma – The U.S. Department of Labor has sued defunct Aircraft Fueling Systems Inc. of Tulsa and its owner for improperly using for the benefit of the company employee contributions and loan repayments owed to the plan.

“The Labor Department will hold employers and their executives accountable when they misuse the hard-earned retirement assets of America’s workers and retirees,” said Roger Hilburn, director of the Dallas Regional Office of the department’s Employee Benefits Security Administration.

WASHINGTON – At the U.S. Department of Labor's request, an independent team of occupational safety experts will examine the process and outcomes of the Mine Safety and Health Administration's internal review in the wake of the explosion at the Upper Big Branch Mine. Both the MSHA internal review and the independent analysis of that review will be made public. This independent assessment is aimed at assuring transparency and accountability, and will evaluate the policy, process and outcomes of MSHA's internal review.

Washington – Assistant Secretary of Labor Phyllis C. Borzi today issued the following statement regarding the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA) and the premium reduction under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA):

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced $50 million in funding for 33 states and the District of Columbia to implement re-employment and eligibility assessments for beneficiaries of unemployment insurance.

Six states are receiving grants for the first time, while 27 states and the District of Columbia are being awarded additional funds to continue their initiatives. The funds will be used to conduct in-person assessments in One-Stop Career Centers.

WASHINGTON – Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis has announced the appointment of Ken Bennett as her representative in the states of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Ohio, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri and Wisconsin. Bennett is based in Chicago, Ill.

SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA In the week ending April 10, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 484,000, an increase of 24,000 from the previous week's unrevised figure of 460,000. The 4-week moving average was 457,750, an increase of 7,500 from the previous week's unrevised average of 450,250.

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 3.6 percent for the week ending April 3, an increase of 0.1 percentage point from the prior week's unrevised rate of 3.5 percent.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced that approximately 3,000 workers from companies in nine states – Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas and Wisconsin – are eligible to apply for Trade Adjustment Assistance.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced a $465,204 grant to assist about 79 workers affected by layoffs at the Weyerhaeuser Co.'s Warrenton Sawmill in Warrenton, Ore.

WASHINGTON – Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis issued the following statement regarding her meeting today with President Obama on the West Virginia mine disaster:

"Over the past week, I have spent time with the families of the mine workers who were killed at the Upper Big Branch mine.

"The miners who perished were husbands, fathers, sons, brothers, uncles, nephews or a friend to someone.

Alliance renewed during national Latino worker safety and health summit in Houston

HOUSTON In an effort to continue to improve workplace safety and health for area Latino workers, the U.S. Department of Labor s Occupational Safety and Health Administration renewed its alliance with the Wind of the Spirit Immigrant Resource Center in Morristown, N.J., today at the National Action Summit for Latino Worker Health and Safety in Houston.

HOUSTON – Each year, thousands of workers in the U.S. are injured or killed on the job as a result of preventable incidents, and Latino workers are killed and suffer work-related injuries at higher rates than all other workers. It is with these tragic statistics in mind that U.S. Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis today convened an historic National Action Summit for Latino Worker Health and Safety.

Agreement, signed at National Latino action summit, aims to promote safety and health for Mexican and other Spanish-speaking workers in construction industry

WASHINGTON Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis today issued the following statement regarding the death of James L. DeMarce, director of the U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Workers' Compensation Programs Division of Coal Mine Workers' Compensation:

"We at the U.S. Department of Labor are deeply saddened to learn of the sudden death of Jim DeMarce, who served as the director of the department's Office of Workers' Compensation Programs Division of Coal Mine Workers' Compensation for more than 25 years.

WASHINGTON Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis today issued the following statement on the Upper Big Branch Mine and pattern of violation status:

"After the tragedy at the Upper Big Branch Mine, I directed Assistant Secretary of Labor for the Mine Safety and Health Administration Joe Main to look at all of the information we had regarding the history of violations at the Upper Big Branch Mine.

WASHINGTON – Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis today issued the following statement regarding the vote of the U.S. Senate to begin work on legislation to extend unemployment insurance and Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act health care benefits to unemployed American workers:

"I applaud those senators who voted yesterday to move forward on this much needed extension of unemployment and health care benefits for the millions of American families who continue to need assistance even as we see our economy starting to turn around.