San Francisco — The U.S. Department of Labor has obtained a court order permanently barring Raymond Palombo of Riverside, California, from serving in a fiduciary or service provider capacity to any employee benefit plan governed by the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA). Palombo and other defendants were sued by the department when they left thousands of workers and their families in Arizona, Georgia, Illinois, Texas and other states with unpaid health claims.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced a $372,839 grant to assist about 65 workers affected by layoffs at General Electric Security Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of General Electric Co. in Pittsfield, Maine.

"Supporting workers who lose their jobs through no fault of their own is good for the economy and the right thing to do," said Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis. "This grant will provide the retraining and job search assistance necessary for affected workers in Maine to get a leg up in the current economic climate."

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced a $6 million grant to provide an estimated 1,550 jobless workers in Kentucky with partial premium payments for health insurance coverage.

Washington – The U.S. Department of Labor's Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) will host a free webcast November 5 to help employers, plan administrators and service providers prepare for changes to the Form 5500 and electronic filing requirement that begin with the 2009 plan year filings.

Washington – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) today released additional guidance to help plan administrators and service providers comply with the expanded requirements for reporting service provider fee and compensation information on the Form 5500 Annual Returns/Reports. The expanded requirements apply for plan years beginning on or after January 1, 2009.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced the creation of a new Unemployment Benefit Estimation Tool that allows mortgage companies and housing counselors to project a homeowner's unemployment insurance income for loan modification purposes. The tool was created as part of collaborative effort among the Labor Department, the U.S. Department of Treasury, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York and the Hope Now Alliance.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced that approximately 4,500 workers from companies in 17 states – Alabama, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan, Mississippi, Nebraska, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Wisconsin – are eligible to apply for Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA).

SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA In the week ending Oct. 17, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 531,000, an increase of 11,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 520,000. The 4-week moving average was 532,250, a decrease of 750 from the previous week's revised average of 533,000.

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 4.5 percent for the week ending Oct. 10, a decrease of 0.1 percentage point from the prior week's revised rate of 4.6 percent.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced a $1,412,920 grant to assist approximately 328 workers in the state of Oregon affected by layoffs from Cessna Aircraft Co. in Bend, Ore.

"This grant will provide re-employment services vital to ensuring these workers re-enter the workforce as quickly as possible," said Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis. "They deserve our support as they seek to upgrade existing skills or enter training that leads to good jobs in promising regional industries."

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced $3,850,268 in grants to assist about 1,430 workers in the state of Oregon affected by layoffs from Monaco Coach Corp. locations in Coburg and Hines.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced a $3,319,718 grant to assist approximately 600 workers affected by layoffs at nine companies in Massachusetts' information, manufacturing, retail and transportation industries.

"This grant will ensure that affected workers across Massachusetts have access to high-quality re-training and re-employment services, which are crucial both to shaping the future career success of individuals and to spurring the state's growing industries," said Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis.

Mokena, Illinois – The U.S. Department of Labor has obtained a default judgment in federal district court in Chicago requiring the plan fiduciary of the TMG National Holdings retirement plan to restore $4,110.80 to the plan for improperly using plan assets to benefit the company.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced $447 million in funding allocations for Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) for states to assist workers who lose their jobs due to outsourcing and foreign trade. These are the initial allocations for fiscal year 2010 and represent approximately 65 percent of the total amount available for TAA for this year. The remaining funds are being held in reserve by the Labor Department for distribution as needed throughout the year.

Boston – The U.S. Department of Labor has obtained a federal court order appointing an independent fiduciary to manage the abandoned 401(k) plan of defunct Boston-based Clearway Technologies LLC.

Orlando, Florida – Bichler and Kelley P.A. and two individuals, the law firm’s director and office manager, have agreed to terminate the firm’s savings incentive match plan for employees individual retirement account (SIMPLE IRA) plan and distribute the assets to participants as part of a federal district court’s consent judgment and order.

Federal OSHA to review all state plan programs

Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking solicits comments from public

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) will publish an advance notice of proposed rulemaking (ANPR) in the Oct. 21 edition of the Federal Register as an initial step in development of a standard to address the hazards of combustible dust.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor has announced a $24,857,608 National Emergency Grant award to assist clean-up and recovery efforts in the wake of a tsunami that struck American Samoa on Sept. 29.

"Our hearts go out to the victims and survivors of the recent tsunami in American Samoa," said Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis. "Today's grant will support ongoing recovery efforts and help American Samoans put their lives back together."

WASHINGTON – Beginning today, in observance of National Disability Employment Awareness Month, the U.S. Department of Labor's Employment and Training Administration (ETA) is hosting an art exhibit at the department's headquarters building located at 200 Constitution Ave. NW in Washington. The exhibit, which will remain until Oct. 30, displays the works of apprentices in the WVSA ARTs connection's ARTiculate Employment Training and Outreach Program.

UAE Coalcorp Associates issued 5 flagrant violations in wake of 2008 fatality

ARLINGTON, Va. – The U.S. Department of Labor's Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) today announced it has proposed $504,900 in civil penalties against UAE Coalcorp Associates, which operates the Harmony Mine in Northumberland County, Pa. Five violations were cited as the result of a fatal roof fall accident in June 2008 and assessed under the flagrant violation provision of MSHA's civil penalty regulation.