WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of International Labor Affairs today announced a $5 million solicitation for cooperative agreement applications to support Burma's efforts to reduce child labor.

WASHINGTON —— The U.S. Department of Labor today announced a $1,081,678 grant to provide employment-related assistance to 120 residents affected by layoffs and closings at 16 manufacturing companies located in Bristol County, Mass.

BATON ROUGE, La. – The U.S. Department of Labor has sued Gulf States Staffing and Personnel LLC of Baton Rouge, and owner Gregory Walker, for violating the Employee Retirement Income Security Act. The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Louisiana, alleges  that between December 2008 and March 2009, Walker and the company failed to remit employee contributions to the GSSP Short-Term Disability Plan, GSSP Long-Term Disability Plan and GSSP Dental and Vision Plan.

SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA In the week ending August 3, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 333,000, an increase of 5,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 328,000. The 4-week moving average was 335,500, a decrease of 6,250 from the previous week's revised average of 341,750.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor's Employee Benefits Security Administration continues to solicit 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 to submit nominations has been extended to Sept. 6.

Date of Action: April 5, 2013

Type of Action: Consent judgment and order

Name(s) of Defendant: Rick Lane Tasker, Martel Jed Cooper, Michael Gregory Smith, individually and as fiduciaries and service providers; and Zenith Capital LLC, an investment advisory firm located in Santa Rosa, Calif.

WASHINGTON — —The U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division announced today that T.G.I .Fridays, a subsidiary of Minnesota-based Carlson, has agreed to change its leave policy to be in compliance with the Family and Medical Leave Act. The move affects employees at its 272 company-owned locations. The company has also agreed to correct violations of the FMLA found during an investigation of one of its restaurants in Shreveport, La., and pay an employee $1,455 in back wages.

Agreement resolves OSHA citations at Rochester, N.Y., store following 2011 inspections

ARLINGTON, Va. — The U.S. Department of Labor's Mine Safety and Health Administration announced today it will publish two notices on Aug. 8 in the Federal Register on refuge alternatives in underground coal mines. In the first, MSHA is requesting data, comments and information on issues and options relevant to miners' escape and refuge during underground coal mine emergencies. MSHA also announced a limited reopening of the record of the refuge alternative final rule published on Dec. 31, 2008. The 60-day comment period for both closes on Oct. 7.

Date of Action: Aug. 5, 2013

Name of Defendant: Custom Patio Rooms Inc.

Date of Action: Aug. 2, 2013

Name(s) of Defendant(s): GEI International Inc.

Date of Action: Aug. 1, 2013

Type of Action: Complaint

WASHINGTON — The Department of Labor's Veterans' Employment and Training Service today announced the award of 22 grants, totaling more than $5 million, to provide about 1,900 homeless female veterans and veterans with families with job training to help them succeed in civilian careers. The grants are being awarded under the department's Homeless Female Veterans and Veterans with Families Program.

ARLINGTON, Va. — The number of U.S. miners killed in underground coal roof falls has been dramatically reduced since 2007, and fatalities resulting from retreat mining have been virtually eliminated, according to figures from the Department of Labor's Mine Safety and Health Administration.

WASHINGTON —The U.S. Department of Labor today awarded a $346,531 National Emergency Grant increment to continue employment-related services to about 180 workers affected by the closure of Solo Cup in North Andover, Mass.

WASHINGTON — Secretary of Labor Tom Perez issued the following statement about the July 2013 Employment Situation report released today:

SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA In the week ending July 27, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 326,000, a decrease of 19,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 345,000. The 4-week moving average was 341,250, a decrease of 4,500 from the previous week's revised average of 345,750.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor's Employee Benefits Security Administration today announced upcoming webcasts to increase awareness and understanding of basic responsibilities associated with operating private sector retirement plans.

“Getting It Right – Know Your Fiduciary Responsibilities” webcasts will take place on Wednesday, August 7 and Thursday, August 8 from 2 to 3:30 p.m. EDT. The webcasts are part of the agency’s national fiduciary education campaign and will feature speakers from the department.

PLYMOUTH MEETING, Pa. – The U.S. Department of Labor has obtained a consent judgment ordering a Plymouth Meeting insurance brokerage firm and its chief executive officer to return $272,722 to plan participants and beneficiaries. The department alleges that Dietrich & Associates Inc., and CEO and sole shareholder Kurt E. Dietrich, obtained the money inappropriately when they provided services to an Employee Retirement Income Security Act-covered retirement plan sponsored by Memorial Hospital-West Volusia Inc. in Deland, Fla.

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health today issued a hazard alert to urge employers that use 1-bromopropane (1-BP) to take appropriate steps to protect workers from exposure.