Grants will fund outreach and technical assistance to workers

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced approximately $1.2 million in grant funds authorized by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 from the dislocated workers assistance national reserve. A solicitation for grants announcement appears in today's Federal Register. One to four projects will be funded to provide technical assistance and outreach to dislocated workers impacted by foreign trade.

WASHINGTON – Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis today announced that the U.S. Department of Labor will begin exercising its authority to certify applications for U Nonimmigrant Status Visas. U visas – as they are known – are designed to help victims of qualifying criminal activities who have suffered substantial physical or mental abuse and are willing to assist law enforcement or other government officials in the investigation or prosecution of those crimes.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor's Employment and Training Administration today announced the availability of approximately $125 million in funds for Community-Based Job Training Grants.

Delaware, Ohio – The U.S. Department of Labor has sued Carl Stover and Stover Industries Inc. in Delaware, for allegedly using employee contributions owed to the company’s 401(k) plan to pay the operating expenses of the company, in violation of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA).

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor's Employment and Training Administration today announced approximately $67 million in grant funds for the Workforce Investment Act Indian and Native American Program.

SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA In the week ending March 6, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 462,000, a decrease of 6,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 468,000. The 4-week moving average was 475,500, an increase of 5,000 from the previous week's revised average of 470,500.

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 3.5 percent for the week ending Feb. 27, unchanged from the prior week's unrevised rate of 3.5 percent.

San Francisco – The U.S. Department of Labor has obtained consent judgments providing for restitution of more than $12 million from Clair R. Couturier Jr., David R. Johanson and Robert E. Eddy, plan officials and service providers involved with the employee stock ownership plan sponsored by The Employee Ownership Holding Co. of Stockton, California, and Fife, Washington.

Denver – The U.S. Department of Labor has filed a lawsuit in federal district court in Denver against the former president and owner of IXP Inc., Fruita, Colo., for abandoning the company's 401(k) plan as its trustee after the company ceased operations in January 2009. IXP Inc. installed gasoline distribution pipelines.

WASHINGTON – Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis today testified before the U.S. House of Representatives Appropriations Committee's Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies. Secretary Solis presented the department's fiscal year 2011 budget request and highlighted why the funding is vital to the nation's ongoing economic recovery.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced that approximately 4,600 workers from companies in 14 states – California, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia and Wisconsin – are eligible to apply for Trade Adjustment Assistance.

WASHINGTON — Sandra Polaski, deputy undersecretary of labor for the U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of International Labor Affairs, today testified before two subcommittees of the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Affairs on the role of labor issues and workers' rights in the Obama Administration's global agenda.

Polaski testified before the Subcommittee on Terrorism, Nonproliferation and Trade, and the Subcommittee on International Organizations, Human Rights and Oversight.

Tampa, Fla. – The U.S. Department of Labor has sued Medipharm-RX Inc., a former Tampa pharmacy, and two plan administrators to restore losses to the pharmacy's 401(k) plan.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration is extending the comment period on the proposed rule to revise the Occupational Injury and Illness Recording and Reporting (recordkeeping) regulation to March 30, 2010.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration surveys employers to collect workplace injury and illness data it uses to identify employers whose injury and illness rates are considerably higher than the national average. A letter has been sent to about 15,000 workplaces with the highest numbers of injuries and illnesses resulting in days away from work, restricted work activities or job transfers, known as the DART rate.

WASHINGTON – Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis today issued the following statement on International Women's Day:

"As a product of the women's movement, the social justice movement and the civil rights movement, I have seen how far we have come in advancing the role of women in our country and around the globe. I also see how much further we have yet to go in supporting women and girls to ensure equality and opportunity in our workplaces, our schools and in our communities as a whole.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced a $786,901 grant to assist about 183 workers affected by layoffs at BAE Systems Inc. in Fridley, Minn.

"While we are seeing positive signs in our economy, we won't be satisfied until all unemployed workers are able to quickly prepare for and enter good jobs that lead to long-term careers," said Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis. "Today's grant will provide these Minnesotans with the re-employment and retraining services necessary to find new jobs in promising industries,"

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor has announced a $341,844 National Emergency Grant award to assist in clean-up and recovery efforts in the wake of severe storms and flooding that occurred in Arkansas in December 2009.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced a $297,000 grant to provide an estimated 280 jobless workers with partial premium payments for health insurance coverage.

"Unemployment should not affect a family's health and safety," said Assistant Secretary of Labor for Employment and Training Jane Oates. "This grant will help provide peace of mind by assisting eligible workers with health insurance premium payments while they look for new jobs."

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor has announced a $2,769,323 National Emergency Grant increment to continue clean-up and recovery efforts in the wake of damage caused by Hurricane Gustav in Louisiana in 2008.

OREGON, Ohio – The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration has cited BP North American Inc. and BP-Husky Refining LLC's refinery in Oregon, Ohio, with 42 alleged willful violations, including 39 on a per-instance basis, and 20 alleged serious violations for exposing workers to a variety of hazards including failure to provide adequate pressure relief for process units. Proposed penalties total $3,042,000.