March 15, 2004

Labor Department Obtains Judgment Restoring $68,500 to 401(k) Plan

Archived News Release — Caution: Information may be out of date.

Seattle, Washington - Kevin C. Stamper, the former principal of Seattle-based Pro Air Inc. and the 401(k) trustee, must repay $68,500 to the plan, as restitution for failing to forward employee contributions and loan repayments to the plan, the U.S. Department of Labor reported today.

March 11, 2004

Department of Labor Policies Reducing Barriers to
Employment for People with Disabilities, Deputy Secretary Steven J. Law Says

WASHINGTON—Deputy Labor Secretary Steven J. Law said today that the Labor Department’s programs and policies are helping to reduce barriers to employment for those with disabilities.

March 11, 2004

Labor Department Sues to Appoint Independent Fiduciary To Chicago Medical Center’s Abandoned 401(k) Plan

Archived News Release — Caution: Information may be out of date.

Chicago, Illinois - The U.S. Department of Labor has sued Edgewater Medical Center of Chicago to obtain a court-appointed independent fiduciary to manage the defunct center’s 401(k) plan and distribute more than $1 million in assets to 293 participants.

March 11, 2004

Labor Department Obtains Judgment Restoring More Than $300,000 To Ohio Profit Sharing Plan

Archived News Release — Caution: Information may be out of date.

March 9, 2004

Labor Department Projects Boost Women's Prospects
Worldwide: International Women's Day and Week Highlight Administration's
Efforts to Improve Social and Economic Opportunities

International Women’s Day and Week Highlight Administration’s Efforts to Improve Social and Economic Opportunities

March 9, 2004

Labor Department Obtains Court Judgment To Restore Assets Of Cincinnati Profit Sharing Plan

Archived News Release — Caution: Information may be out of date.

Cincinnati, Ohio - The U.S. Department of Labor obtained a default judgment on March 8, 2004, ordering the president of defunct Mershon Metal Maintenance, Inc. in Cincinnati, Ohio, to restore $36,094 owed to the plan. The department sued Joseph Mershon for failing to forward employee contributions to the plan.

March 8, 2004

Labor Department Sues to Appoint Independent Fiduciary for Manhattan Record Distributor’s 401(k) Plan

Archived News Release — Caution: Information may be out of date.

New York, New York - The U.S. Department of Labor has filed a lawsuit to obtain a court order appointing an independent fiduciary to manage the Edel America Records, Inc., 401 (k) plan in Manhattan and distribute more than $63,000 to 15 participants.

March 5, 2004

Labor Department Seeks Comments on Proposed Revamping of Electronic Filing for Annual Reports

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

WASHINGTON—The U.S. Department of Labor’s Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) today is requesting public comments on proposed changes to the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) Filing Acceptance System (EFAST) to capitalize on web-based technology that promotes more cost-effective and efficient ways to serve America’s citizens.

March 4, 2004

Labor Department Acts to Restore Funds to California Company Pension Plan

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

March 3, 2004

Labor Department Official Testifies Before Senate Finance on Health Insurance Scams

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

WASHINGTON—Assistant Secretary of Labor Ann L. Combs today told Congress that the Bush Administration is attacking health scams through a three-pronged strategy designed to protect workers and their families from abusive health insurance schemes.

March 1, 2004

Labor Department Official Testifies on Oversight of Thrift Savings Plan

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

WASHINGTON—Alan D. Lebowitz, deputy assistant secretary of the U.S. Department of Labor’s Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA), today presented testimony on the department’s oversight of the Thrift Savings Plan (TSP). The TSP benefits more than three million participants and beneficiaries covered by the retirement plan.

March 1, 2004

Labor Department Proposes Rule To Preserve Retirement Savings

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

March 1, 2004

Labor Department Official Testifies on Oversight of Thrift Savings Plan

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

WASHINGTON—Alan D. Lebowitz, deputy assistant secretary of the U.S. Department of Labor’s Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA), today presented testimony on the department’s oversight of the Thrift Savings Plan (TSP). The TSP benefits more than three million participants and beneficiaries covered by the retirement plan.

March 1, 2004

Labor Department Sues Fiduciaries of Tulsa Health Arrangement Over Excessive Fees and Misrepresentations

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

Tulsa, Oklahoma - The U.S. Department of Labor has sued the fiduciaries of Tulsa-based Provider Medical Trust for taking excessive fees and misrepresenting the trust’s solvency thereby causing the health trust millions of dollars in losses.

March 1, 2004

Labor Department Obtains Court Order on Appointment Of Independent Fiduciary for Abandoned 401(k) Plans

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

Columbus, Ohio - The U.S. Department of Labor has obtained a court order authorizing Team America, Inc., of Worthington, Ohio, to appoint an independent fiduciary to manage and terminate the defunct company’s 401(k) retirement savings plans after the plans were left without a fiduciary.

February 23, 2004

Labor Department To Recover $80,000 for Retirees Of Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center

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

February 20, 2004

Labor Department and IRS Unveil Booklet To Assist Small Businesses To Start, Operate 401(k) Plans

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

February 19, 2004

U.S. Department of Labor Honors Nine Organizations
for Creating Opportunities in the Workplace

WASHINGTON—For their efforts to promote equal employment opportunity, nine companies and organizations were honored today by the U.S. Department of Labor at an annual awards ceremony hosted by the department’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP).

Three types of awards—the Secretary of Labor’s Opportunity Award, Exemplary Voluntary Efforts (EVE) Awards, and Exemplary Public Interest Contribution (EPIC) Awards—were presented to recognize innovative workplace programs and initiatives that increase equal employment opportunity for the American workforce.

February 17, 2004

Labor Department Launches U.S.-India Child Labor
Project

NEW DELHI, India—The Department of Labor (DOL), the International Labor Organization (ILO) and the government of India today launched a $40 million project to combat exploitive and hazardous child labor in India.

February 17, 2004

Labor Department Issues Guidance on Fiduciary Duties In Response to Mutual Fund Abuses

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

Washington, DC - Ann L. Combs, Assistant Secretary of the U.S. Department of Labor’s Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA), today announced guidance on the duties of employee benefit plan fiduciaries in light of alleged abuses involving mutual funds.