Archived News Release — Caution: Information may be out of date.

Washington, DC - The U.S. Department of Labor today announced an agreement with the estate of Kenneth L. Lay granting a $12 million claim against his estate on behalf of participants covered by Enron's pension plans. Lay died on July 5, 2006. This proposed settlement must be formally documented and submitted for approval to the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas.

Archived News Release — Caution: Information may be out of date.

Denver, Colorado - The former owners of Vancol Industries Inc. of Denver must pay more than $150,000 to the company’s profit sharing plan as restitution for improper loans made from the plan to the company’s owners, plan participants and affiliated companies, according to a consent judgment obtained by the U.S. Department of Labor.

Archived News Release — Caution: Information may be out of date.

San Francisco, California - The U.S. Department of Labor has sued John S. and Louise S. Villa, the owners of Villa Automotive and Villa Service Center of San Luis Obispo, California, for failing to forward employee contributions to the Villa Automotive 401(k) employee pension benefit plan. The defendants are the trustees of the 401(k) plan.

Report Required Under the Trade and Development Act

WASHINGTON — The Labor Department today released its fifth annual report on the worst forms of child labor in 137 countries and territories that receive U.S. trade benefits.

WASHINGTON — Preparing America's youth, including those with disabilities, for today's job market is an important task. Unfortunately, workforce development professionals have not always had access to the proper training they need to help youth to succeed. But in the 21st century, that is changing thanks to innovations funded by the U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP).

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Washington, DC - The U.S. Department of Labor’s Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) today announced the release of a request-for-proposal (RFP) to support a new mandate on electronic filing of the Form 5500 Series reports required by the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA). The RFP was published online by Federal Business Opportunities on September 1, 2006.

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Lexington, Kentucky - The U.S. Department of Labor has sued the former owner of the Pearce-Phelps Roofing Co., Lexington, Kentucky, to recover delayed and missing employee contributions plus any lost earnings for the company’s SIMPLE IRA employee benefit plan.

HOUSTON — The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has sued Benitez Drywall LLC, a Houston-based drywall company, and its owners for alleged violations of the overtime and recordkeeping provisions of the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). The complaint was filed in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas, Houston Division following an investigation by the department's Wage and Hour Division (WHD). Back wages are expected to exceed $500,000 for more than 500 construction workers.

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

Washington, DC - The U. S. Department of Labor’s Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) is providing an extension of the deadline for filing Form 5500 series annual returns/reports to October 16, 2006 to filers affected by Hurricane Katrina. This additional reporting relief is being granted to filers in 31 parishes in Louisiana, 48 counties in Mississippi, and 11 counties in Alabama.

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

New York, New York - The U.S. Department of Labor’s Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) in New York City will hold a free seminar to assist employers, pension plan administrators and other benefit professionals comply with federal employee benefits law. The seminar will take place September 29, 2006 at the Broad Financial Center, 33 Whitehall Street, 11^th Floor Conference Room.

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

Salt Lake City, Utah - The U.S. Department of Labor will hold free workshops September12 to help employers and pension plan administrators better comply with federal employee benefits law. The workshops will be held at the Wallace F. Bennett Federal Building, 125 South State Street.

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

Washington, DC - The U.S. Department of Labor is soliciting nominations to fill five three-year vacancies on the Advisory Council on Employee Welfare and Pension Benefit Plans, known as the ERISA Advisory Council. The deadline for receipt of nominations is October 1, 2006.

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San Francisco, California - The U.S. Department of Labor has filed a lawsuit in federal district court in San Jose seeking the appointment of an independent trustee to manage the abandoned 401(k) plan of Silicon Valley Research, Inc., and distribute more than $900,000 in assets to 28 participants.

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

Macedonia, Ohio - The U.S. Department of Labor has sued the former president of now-defunct D.L. French Company Inc., Macedonia, Ohio, for failing to administer the company’s 401(k) profit sharing plan so that assets could be distributed to plan participants.

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

Syracuse, New York - The U.S. Department of Labor has filed suit asking the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of New York to appoint an independent fiduciary to oversee the abandoned Azon Employees Retirement Plan.

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

San Francisco, California - The U.S. Department of Labor has obtained a judgment appointing an independent fiduciary to distribute more than $149,500 in assets to 19 participants of the 401(k) plan of defunct Alameda, California-based RadixOne. The technology firm, formerly known as ReSolutions Group, closed in 2003.

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

Charlotte, North Carolina - The U.S. Department of Labor’s Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) in Atlanta will hold a seminar to assist employers, pension plan administrators and other benefit professionals comply with federal employee benefits law. The Charlotte, North Carolina seminar will be held August 22, 2006, at the Embassy Suites, 4800 South Tryon Street.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The U.S. Department of Labor announced today that Q.C. Financial Inc., a payday loan establishment that operates under the name of Quick Cash, has paid $519,088 in back wages to 900 employees to correct violations of the overtime provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). The corporation is headquartered in Overland Park, Kan., and has numerous locations throughout the U.S.

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Atlanta, Georgia - The U.S. Department of Labor has sued Orlando-based IMDC Inc. and Gregory C. Mundy, fiduciary of the company’s 401(k) profit sharing plan, to recover lost benefits for plan participants.

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

San Francisco, California - The U.S. Department of Labor has sued three former officials of a Livermore, California business for failing to properly forward employee contributions to the company’s 401(k) plan. The plan covered approximately 95 participants when the telecommunications and networking company ceased operations in October 2004 at the Livermore and Pleasanton locations.