CHICAGO — The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration has found Wisconsin Central Limited railway in violation of the Federal Railroad Safety Act for terminating a conductor following the reporting of a workplace injury that occurred in Manitowoc, Wis.

DALLAS, Texas — The U.S. Department of Labor's Dallas and Chicago Occupational Safety and Health Administration regional offices signed an alliance with the Consulate General of the Philippines in Chicago establishing a collaborative relationship to keep workers safe and healthy on the job. The goal of the alliance is to increase access to education and training resources that promote worker rights and employer knowledge of their responsibilities under the Occupational Safety and Health Act.

ARLINGTON, Va. — The U.S. Department of Labor's Mine Safety and Health Administration today released preliminary data for calendar year 2013, updating the "Mine Safety and Health at a Glance" page. The charts include information on inspections; violations; number of mines and miners; and fatality and injury rates for coal, metal and nonmetal, and all mining.

FORT WORTH, Texas — The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration has cited EICA Industries Inc. of Fort Worth for 17 serious violations for exposing workers to preventable struck-by and amputation hazards. The proposed penalty is $46,000.

LUBBOCK, Texas — The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration has cited Jarvis Metals Recycling Inc. of Lubbock for 24 safety and health violations. With a proposed penalty of $64,400, the company was cited for exposing workers to unguarded machinery and electrical, noise, chemical and fall hazards at the company's Olive Avenue facility.

MELROSE PARK, Ill. — Interlake Mecalux Inc., a manufacturer of storage and racking systems, has been cited by the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration for 17 serious safety violations, many of which expose workers to amputation hazards. OSHA has proposed penalties of $71,700, following the October 2013 complaint inspection of the Melrose Park-based plant.

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor today announced a $2,131,425 National Emergency Grant supplemental award to provide training and other re-employment services to oystermen to prepare for careers in other industries. Workers eligible for these services are those who participated in the temporary jobs component of this emergency grant, which was provided in the aftermath of Tropical Storm Debby in June 2012.

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor today announced a $2,131,425 National Emergency Grant supplemental award to provide training and other re-employment services to oystermen to prepare for careers in other industries. Workers eligible for these services are those who participated in the temporary jobs component of this emergency grant, which was provided in the aftermath of Tropical Storm Debby in June 2012.

Date of Action: March 28, 2014

Type of Action: Consent Order and Judgment

Names of Defendant: Richard J. Jurczykowski, Richard A. Lindahl, Guardian Graphics, Ltd., Guardian Graphics Ltd. 401(k) Profit Sharing Plan

ATLANTA — The U.S. Department of Labor's Women's Bureau will host a forum to discuss pay equality and the challenges of working families. The event will take place Thursday, April 10, from 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. EDT at The King Center Auditorium, 449 Auburn Ave. NE, Atlanta, GA 30312. The free event is open to the public and the media. Attendees can join the conversation on Twitter by using #WorkingFamilies.

SYRACUSE, N.Y. — The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration has cited Burrows Paper Corp., based in Little Falls, for repeat and serious safety violations at two of the company's work sites. Burrows faces $298,100 in proposed fines following inspections by OSHA's Syracuse Area Office.

TOTOWA, N.J. — Following two workplace incidents leaving one machine operator's hand crushed and another with a partial hand amputation, the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration has cited Precision Custom Coatings LLC for one willful, one repeat and 12 serious safety violations, including failure to provide required machine guarding, at the company's fabric manufacturing facility in Totowa.

ANNAPOLIS, Md. — McDonald's franchise operators Gold Hat Inc. and Gold Hat II Inc., which have the same owner and are based in Annapolis, have agreed to pay $254,224 in back wages and liquidated damages to 138 employees following an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division, which determined that violations of the minimum wage, overtime and child labor provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act occurred at nine of the operators' restaurant locations throughout Maryland.

OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. — Case Development LLC, the general building contractor of an apartment complex in Norman, has been cited by the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration for serious and repeat violations and a proposed fine of $90,600 following a November 2013 inspection. OSHA found the company failed to protect workers from dangerous falls and other serious hazards.

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — A federal judge has ordered Darryl Howes and his business, Darryl Howes Farms, located in Copemish, to stop misclassifying his migrant workers as independent contractors, to comply with the record-keeping provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act and housing standards of the Migrant and Seasonal Agricultural Worker Protection Act, and to cease interfering with U.S. Department of Labor investigations.

WASHINGTON — U.S. Secretary of Labor Thomas E. Perez today issued the following statement regarding the Senate's passage of legislation to reauthorize emergency unemployment benefits for five months:

"Today, the U.S. Senate voted to provide relief to the more than 2.2 million Americans who have struggled to make ends meet since emergency unemployment benefits expired more than 90 days ago.

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor, in partnership with the U.S. Department of Education, today launched the Registered Apprenticeship — College Consortium, a new effort that will allow graduates of Registered Apprenticeship programs to turn their years of rigorous on-the-job and classroom training into college credits toward an associate or bachelor degree.

WASHINGTON — Too few of America's students are meaningfully engaged in their academic experience while in high school, and many high school graduates lack exposure to learning that links their studies in school to future college and career pathways — especially in the critically important fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

WASHINGTON — U.S. Secretary of Labor Thomas E. Perez issued the following statement about the March 2014 Employment Situation report released today:

"Today's report tells the story of a solid and steady economic recovery delivering more opportunity for more people. We saw 192,000 new jobs in the month of March, and the private sector has now created 8.9 million jobs over the last 49 consecutive months of employment growth. The unemployment rate held steady at 6.7 percent and is down from 7.5 percent a year ago.

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — The U.S. Department of Labor will host two town hall meetings on Tuesday, April 8, and Wednesday, April 9, in Albuquerque to provide the public with information about the medical benefits available under the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act. The EEOICPA provides compensation and medical benefits to employees who became ill as a result of working in the nuclear weapons industry.