Washington – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced the publication of a final rule to protect employee contributions deposited to small pension and welfare benefit plans with fewer than 100 participants by providing a safe harbor period of seven business days following receipt or withholding by employers.

Elk Grove, Illinois – The U.S. Department of Labor has sued the former owners of Jet Fastener Corp. in Geneva and fiduciaries of the company’s health plan to recover employee health benefit contributions used to pay the company’s operating expenses.

CHICAGO — The U.S. Department of Labor has sued the owners of bankrupt Mid-States Express Inc. of Aurora, Ill., for allegedly failing to protect the interests of the participants and beneficiaries in the company's 401(k) and health plans. The department's lawsuit alleges that Bruce Hartmann failed to disclose to employees that their medical bills were not likely to be paid, even as the company continued to take deductions from their paychecks for medical coverage.

Clarks Summit, Pennsylvania – The U.S. Department of Labor has sued Dalton Mechanical Services Inc. and its president and co-owner, Scott Slocum, for failing to deposit employee contributions into the company’s employee benefit plan in violation of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA).

WASHINGTON – U.S. Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis issued the following statement on the December 2009 Employment Situation report released today:

"This past December, the economy lost 85,000 jobs, and the unemployment rate remained unchanged at 10 percent.

"Today's numbers underscore that we still have work to do before we can be sure that all Americans have access to good jobs. We are working aggressively to reverse these conditions for American workers and their families.

Washington – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) converted to a total electronic system of online filing for the Forms 5500 and new the Form 5500-SF on December 31, 2009. Now the all-electronic EFAST2 system allows the public to submit and access filings online at www.efast.dol.gov.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced that approximately 1,100 workers from companies in seven states – Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, North Carolina and Ohio – are eligible to apply for Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA).

SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA In the week ending Jan. 2, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 434,000, an increase of 1,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 433,000. The 4-week moving average was 450,250, a decrease of 10,250 from the previous week's revised average of 460,500.

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 3.6 percent for the week ending Dec. 26, a decrease of 0.2 percentage point from the prior week's unrevised rate of 3.8 percent.

Reno, Nevada – The U.S. Department of Labor has obtained a bankruptcy court order in which the owners of Jeff Codega Planning & Design Inc. of Reno, Nevada, agreed to restore $35,864 owed to the company’s 401(k) profit-sharing plan.

WASHINGTON – Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis today announced nearly $100 million in green jobs training grants, as authorized by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act). The grants will support job training programs to help dislocated workers and others, including veterans, women, African Americans and Latinos, find jobs in expanding green industries and related occupations. Approximately $28 million of the total funds will support projects in communities impacted by auto industry restructuring.

New York – The U.S. Department of Labor has filed a lawsuit asking the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York to appoint an independent fiduciary to oversee an entity called the Contractors Benefit Trust (CBT), which has control over several dozen employee benefit plans established by construction industry employers in the New York City and Long Island areas.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced a $2,201,214 grant to assist about 500 workers affected by layoffs at multiple companies in the construction and manufacturing industries in central and southeastern Texas.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced a $2,398,800 grant to assist about 1,000 workers affected by layoffs at Micron Technology Inc. in Boise, Idaho.

"Helping these workers access the employment and retraining services they need to secure family-supporting jobs is the right thing to do. It is also a wise investment in the future of Idaho and the nation as a whole," said Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis.

Lansing, Michigan – The U.S. Department of Labor has sued an officer and fiduciary to the retirement plan of the Popoff Meat Co. in Lansing for improperly using plan assets withheld from employees’ paychecks for the benefit of the company, in violation of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA).

HOUSTON – The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) today issued CES Environmental Services Inc. willful and serious citations after an investigation into a fatal explosion at the company's Griggs Road facility in Houston. Proposed penalties total $1,477,500.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced the "Explore and Recommend" phase of its "Tools for America's Job Seekers Challenge." A first of its kind effort, the challenge brings together a plethora of online resources for job seekers. It also allows them, and workforce professionals, to vote for their favorite job search and career sites.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor has announced a $1,238,564 National Emergency Grant award to assist clean-up and recovery efforts after the October severe storms, tornadoes and flooding that affected much of Arkansas.

"These resources will help Arkansas recover from severe weather events that impacted the state, while helping dislocated workers get jobs as part of the clean-up and recovery efforts," said Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis.

34 mining deaths in US is record-setting number

Arlington, Va. – Preliminary data from the U.S. Department of Labor's Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) released today indicate that mine fatalities in 2009 fell to an all-time low for the second straight year. Coal mines recorded 18 mining deaths, and metal/nonmetal mines recorded 16 mining deaths, for a combined total of 34 mining deaths nationwide and a significant drop from last year's total of 52 deaths.

UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE WEEKLY CLAIMS REPORT

SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA In the week ending Dec. 26, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 432,000, a decrease of 22,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 454,000. The 4-week moving average was 460,250, a decrease of 5,500 from the previous week's revised average of 465,750.

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 3.8 percent for the week ending Dec. 19, unchanged from the prior week's revised rate of 3.8 percent.

Federal Coal Mine Health and Safety Act of 1969 paved way for major reforms

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor's Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) today commemorated the 40th anniversary of the signing of the Federal Coal Mine Health and Safety Act of 1969 (Mine Act), which instituted the strongest and most comprehensive occupational safety and health protections that had ever been enacted in the country.