ARLINGTON, VA – As the U.S. Department of Labor continues to protect the health and safety of America’s miners, the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) announced today that it will reopen the public comment period regarding the Agency’s Request for Information (RFI) on Exposure of Underground Miners to Diesel Exhaust.

BIRMINGHAM, AL – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has again cited Jose A. Serrato, an independent roofing contractor based in Marietta, Georgia, for exposing employees to fall hazards at a worksite in Birmingham. The employer, who has been cited seven times in the past five years, faces $133,604 in proposed penalties.

In the week ending March 17, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 229,000, an increase of 3,000 from the previous week's unrevised level of 226,000. The 4-week moving average was 223,750, an increase of 2,250 from the previous week's unrevised average of 221,500.

ELKINS, WV – After a U.S. Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division investigation, a federal jury has entered a verdict against Randolph County Sheltered Workshop Inc. - doing business as Seneca Designs - and ordered the Elkins nonprofit to pay $119,040 in back wages to 34 employees. Entered in the U.S District Court for the Northern District of West Virginia-Elkins Division, the investigation found that the organization violated the minimum wage provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).

RINGOES, NJ - After a U.S. Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division investigation, Mavrode Farms LLC—a Ringoes, New Jersey, wholesale florist supplier—has paid $76,374 to 13 employees to resolve violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). The Division also assessed civil money penalties totaling $2,633 for the violations.

LYON STATION, PA – The U.S. Department of Labor has filed suit in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania against a Berks County battery manufacturer after an investigation found overtime and recordkeeping violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).   

HONOLULU, HI – Neptune Construction Group Inc., a Florida-based construction company, has agreed to pay 38 employees working at various Hawaii locations $173,320 after a U.S. Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division investigation found Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) overtime pay violations.

Operating with offices in Kailua Kona and in Palm Harbor, Florida, Neptune Construction serves the entire U.S. and specializes in remodeling and renovation of hotel properties.

FOLEY, AL – After a U.S. Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division investigation, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Alabama has ordered Riviera Stoneworks Inc., Hood’s Discount Home Center of Foley Inc., and Michael J. Hood, the operator of both companies, to pay $28,307 in back wages and liquidated damages to 28 employees for violating the overtime and recordkeeping provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).

COLUMBUS, OH – U.S. Secretary of Labor Alexander Acosta today announced a new National Health Emergency Dislocated Worker Demonstration Grant pilot program to help communities fight the opioid crisis. The U.S. Department of Labor will initially fund seven to ten pilot programs with awards totaling $21 million. Secretary Acosta made the announcement during a visit to the Maryhaven Stabilization Center in Columbus, Ohio.

MEMPHIS, TN – After an investigation by U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division, the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Tennessee has ordered Capital Construction Inc. and its owner, Justin B. Herter, to pay $188,244 in back wages and liquidated damages to 37 employees for violating the overtime and recordkeeping provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).

WASHINGTON, DC – After a routine compliance evaluation by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP), Humana Inc. has agreed to pay $2.5 million in back wages and interest as part of a conciliation agreement with the U.S. Department of Labor to resolve allegations of pay discrimination against 753 women at the health insurance company’s headquarters in Louisville.

MASON, OH – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has cited Kraft Heinz Foods Company for machine safety violations after an employee suffered a partial finger amputation while clearing a machine jam at the company’s Mason facility. The company faces $109,939 in proposed penalties.

HEBRON, OH – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) announced today that auto parts manufacturer Sunfield Inc. has agreed to a settlement that includes a $1 million penalty, and hiring a safety and health coordinator to resolve safety and health violations found at the company’s Hebron plant.

WAKEFIELD, NE ‒ The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has cited Michael Foods Inc., an egg processing facility based in Wakefield, Nebraska, for multiple safety violations after an employee suffered fatal injuries when he was struck by a dock leveler. A dock leveler is a device used to allow a forklift to travel between a loading dock and a trailer.

JACKSONVILLE, FL – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has cited Middleburg-based Southeastern Subcontractors Inc. for failing to protect employees from the dangerous hazards of working outdoors in extreme heat.

SYRACUSE, NY – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has cited Summit Milk Products LLC, based in Waterloo, for ongoing failure to protect employees against burns at its facility. The cheese and dairy products manufacturer faces a total of $143,954 in proposed penalties for uncorrected and new hazards.

NORFOLK, VA - The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has certified BAE Systems Norfolk Ship Repair facility as a Star worksite, the highest level of recognition in the Agency’s Voluntary Protection Programs (VPP) for workplace safety and health excellence.

BOSTON, MA – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has ordered JetBlue Corporation to reinstate and compensate a flight attendant who was fired for raising safety concerns about a flight. The order requires JetBlue Corporation to clear the affected personnel file and pay $143,783.66 in back pay, compensatory damages, and attorneys’ fees, and post a notice informing all employees of their whistleblower protections.

In the week ending March 10, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 226,000, a decrease of 4,000 from the previous week's revised level. The previous week's level was revised down by 1,000 from 231,000 to 230,000. The 4-week moving average was 221,500, a decrease of 750 from the previous week's revised average. The previous week's average was revised down by 250 from 222,500 to 222,250.

Read the full release.

ENGLEWOOD, CO – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) cited Langston Concrete Inc. for failing to protect its workers from trench collapse hazards. The Colorado Springs company faces proposed penalties of $90,535.