September 17, 2008

U.S. Department of Labor official testifies before Senate committee on fee disclosures for 401(k)-type plans

Archived News Release — Caution: Information may be out of date.

September 15, 2008

GovBenefits.gov Web site wins Government Computer News Award

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor is among 10 agencies selected to receive this year's Government Computer News (GCN) Award, which recognizes federal, state and local government for extraordinary information technology accomplishments and significant contributions to agency performance. The Labor Department is being recognized for its GovBenefits.gov Web site, an E-Gov program.

September 15, 2008

U.S. Labor Department takes legal action against trustee of AE Seven LLC 401(k) plan for failure to administer employee assets

Archived News Release — Caution: Information may be out of date.

Greenwood Village, Colorado – The U.S. Department of Labor has sued the trustee of the AE Seven LLC 401(k) plan in Greenwood Village for failure to properly administer the company’s 401(k) plan in violation of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA).

September 15, 2008

U.S. Department of Labor’s ERISA Advisory Council working groups to hold teleconference September 29

Archived News Release — Caution: Information may be out of date.

Washington – The Advisory Council on Employee Welfare and Pension Benefit Plans (known as the ERISA Advisory Council) will convene by teleconference September 29 to discuss reports and recommendations by its working groups to be submitted to the secretary of labor.

September 10, 2008

U.S. Labor Department obtains civil contempt order against trustees of California-based health benefit fund

Archived News Release — Caution: Information may be out of date.

Atlanta — A federal district court in Atlanta has held two former trustees of the California-based International Union of Industrial and Independent Workers Benefit Fund (IUIIW) in civil contempt for failing to comply with a previous court order barring them from serving in a fiduciary capacity to plans governed by the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA).

September 9, 2008

U.S. Labor Department sponsors free workshops to assist employee benefit professionals

Archived News Release — Caution: Information may be out of date.

Silver Spring, Maryland – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) will hold two free workshops to help employers, pension plan administrators and other benefit professionals comply with federal employee benefits law. They will be held on September 16 at EBSA’s Washington District Office, 1335 East West Highway (first floor) in Silver Spring.

September 9, 2008

U.S. Labor Department sponsors free workshops to assist employee benefit professionals

Archived News Release — Caution: Information may be out of date.

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) will hold two free workshops to help employers, pension plan administrators and other benefit professionals comply with federal employee benefits law. They will be held on September 18 at the Radisson Hotel Pittsburgh Greentree, 101 Radisson Drive in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

September 4, 2008

U.S. Labor Department obtains settlement with Elgin, Illinois business owner to restore 401(k) profit-sharing funds

Archived News Release — Caution: Information may be out of date.

Elgin, Illinois – The U.S. Department of Labor has obtained a settlement restoring $14,033 owed to the Airtronics Gage & Machine Co. 401(k) Profit-Sharing Plans as restitution for losses resulting from violations of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA). The 401(k) plan was sponsored by the Air Gage Co. and Airtronics Gage & Machine Co. in Elgin.

September 4, 2008

U.S. Labor Department obtains default judgment against Fishers, Indiana business leading to recovery of 401(k) profit-sharing funds

Archived News Release — Caution: Information may be out of date.

Fishers, Indiana – The U.S. Department of Labor has obtained a default judgment against defunct Technengineering Services Inc. to appoint an independent fiduciary to manage and terminate the company’s 401(k) profit-sharing plan and distribute $20,599 in assets to eligible participants and beneficiaries.

September 3, 2008

U.S. Department of Labor offering free fiduciary workshop on ERISA and HIPAA rules for small businesses at University of Memphis

Archived News Release — Caution: Information may be out of date.

Atlanta – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Employment Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) will provide a free workshop on Thursday, September 25, in Memphis, Tennessee, to help small businesses, employers, employee benefit professionals and others understand their fiduciary responsibilities under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA).

September 3, 2008

U.S. Labor Department sues fiduciary of Adtech Systems in San Antonio to recover 401(k) assets

Archived News Release — Caution: Information may be out of date.

San Antonio – The U.S. Department of Labor has sued the owner of defunct Adtech Systems Inc. in San Antonio for improperly using 401(k) assets withheld from employees’ pay to benefit the company in violation of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act.

September 2, 2008

U.S. Department of Labor and Major League Baseball launch PITCH campaign to encourage businesses to hire people with disabilities

Former Major Leaguer Jim Abbott to serve as campaign spokesman

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP), in cooperation with Major League Baseball, today announced the launch of the PITCH (Proving Individuals with Talent Can Help) campaign to encourage businesses to hire individuals with disabilities.

August 27, 2008

U.S. Labor Department issues seventh annual report on
worst forms of child labor in trade beneficiary countries

Report required under Trade and Development Act of 2000

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of International Labor Affairs (ILAB) today released its seventh annual report on efforts being made to combat the worst forms of child labor by governments in 141 countries and territories that receive U.S. trade benefits.

August 26, 2008

U.S. Department of Labor announces two new initiatives aimed at promoting hiring of veterans and applicants with disabilities

Enforcement agency announces 10 criminal convictions and 8 indictments for July 2008

August 22, 2008

U.S. Department of Labor sues defunct West Chester, Pennsylvania company to protect participants of abandoned retirement plan

Archived News Release — Caution: Information may be out of date.

West Chester Pennsylvania The U.S. Department of Labor has filed suit to have an independent fiduciary appointed to oversee the 401(k) plan of Five Star Industrial Services Inc., a defunct company located in West Chester, Pennsylvania.

August 21, 2008

U.S. Labor Department proposes rules on investment advice exemption for 401(k) plans and IRAs

Archived News Release — Caution: Information may be out of date.

Washington – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced publication of two proposed rules under the Pension Protection Act (PPA) to make investment advice more accessible for millions of Americans in 401(k) type plans and individual retirement accounts (IRAs). The proposed regulation and class exemption are to be published in the August 22, 2008 Federal Register.

August 19, 2008

U.S. Department of Labor’s ERISA Advisory Council sets September 2008 meetings

Archived News Release — Caution: Information may be out of date.

Washington – The Advisory Council on Employee Welfare and Pension Benefit Plans (also known as the ERISA Advisory Council) and its three working groups will meet September 9-11 at the U.S. Department of Labor, 200 Constitution Avenue NW, Room S-3215 A-B in Washington, D.C.

August 12, 2008

U.S. Labor Department sues to protect assets of Long Beach retirement plan for medical workers

Archived News Release — Caution: Information may be out of date.

San Francisco – The U.S. Department of Labor has sued a Long Beach pediatrician and his professional corporation for allegedly misusing retirement plan assets and refusing to distribute account balances to terminated participants.

August 11, 2008

U.S. Labor Department sues former executive of Florida mortuary and transportation company to recover 401(k) funds

Archived News Release — Caution: Information may be out of date.

Atlanta – The U.S. Department of Labor has sued Timothy Steinkamp, a corporate officer of defunct Broward Removal Services and Broward Trade Services Inc. in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, for violating the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) when he failed to remit employee contributions owed to the company’s 401(k) plan.