August 20, 2012

US Labor Department investigation results in funds being restored to Family Mobile Medical Retirement Plan in Merrillville, Ind.

Date of Action: Aug. 10, 2012

Type of Action: Consent order and judgment

Names of Defendant: Ben Richmond, Family Mobile Medical Services, Inc., and the Family Mobile Medical Retirement Plan

Allegations: Richmond and Family Mobile Medical Services, Inc., in their capacity as fiduciaries to the Family Mobile Medical Retirement Plan, failed to ensure that $8,965.94, in employee contributions for the period of April 1, 2008, through Dec. 31, 2008, were forwarded to the plan.

August 20, 2012

The Department of Labor has obtained a judgment in Solis v. Jack A. Helmick involving the Dynamis Group LLC formerly of Shelbyville, KY.

Date of Action:  August 15, 2012

Type of Action:  Consent order and judgment

Names of Defendants: Jack A. Helmick, individually and as a fiduciary to the Dynamis Group 401(k) Profit Sharing Plan & Trust

August 17, 2012

US Department of Labor provides grant increment to assist Missouri with continued flood recovery efforts

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced a $1,141,783 National Emergency Grant increment to continue cleanup and recovery efforts related to flooding that affected northwestern Missouri between June 1 and Aug. 1, 2011. Awarded to the Missouri Division of Workforce Development, the additional funding will make possible temporary employment for eligible dislocated workers in affected areas.

August 16, 2012

Statement by Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis on data from American Time Use Survey regarding employer leave policies

WASHINGTON – Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis today issued the following statement on the Bureau of Labor Statistics' release of the Leave Module section of the 2011 American Time Use Survey:

August 16, 2012

ETA Press Release: Unemployment Insurance Weekly Claims Report

SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA In the week ending August 11, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 366,000, an increase of 2,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 364,000. The 4-week moving average was 363,750, a decrease of 5,500 from the previous week's revised average of 369,250.

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 2.6 percent for the week ending August 4, unchanged from the prior week's unrevised rate.

August 16, 2012

West Virginia University Research Corp. awarded $2.5 million grant to manage, operate Office of Disability Employment Policy's Job Accommodation Network

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor has awarded a $2.5 million grant to the West Virginia University Research Corp. to manage and operate the Office of Disability Employment Policy's Job Accommodation Network, a national technical assistance center that facilitates the employment and retention of workers with disabilities.

August 13, 2012

US Labor Department announces nearly $100 million in grants available for states to implement, improve short-time compensation or 'work sharing'

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced the availability of nearly $100 million in grants for states to implement or improve existing short-term compensation, commonly referred to as "work sharing," programs. This funding has been made available through the bipartisan Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012 signed by President Obama in February, which authorized states to set up programs to give employers an alternative to layoffs.

August 13, 2012

US Labor Department to host free retirement plan compliance assistance seminar for Charleston, SC, area small business owners Sept. 11

ATLANTA – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Employee Benefits Security Administration will host a retirement plan compliance assistance seminar in North Charleston, S.C., on Sept. 11. The seminar is designed to help small business owners understand their fiduciary responsibilities when operating private sector retirement plans. It is free and open to the first 100 registrants.

August 6, 2012

MSHA's 'examinations' rule for underground coal mines effective Aug. 6

ARLINGTON, Va. – The U.S. Department of Labor's Mine Safety and Health Administration's final rule "Examinations of Work Areas in Underground Coal Mines for Violations of Mandatory Health or Safety Standards," which was published April 6, 2012, in the Federal Register, becomes effective today.

August 6, 2012

US Department of Labor announces $10 million competitive solicitation for cooperative agreements to combat child labor in Cambodia

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of International Labor Affairs today announced a $10 million competitive solicitation for cooperative agreements to combat child labor in Cambodia's agriculture, fishing and fisheries/aquaculture, and domestic service sectors.

August 3, 2012

Statement by Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis on July employment numbers

WASHINGTON – Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis issued the following statement on the July 2012 Employment Situation report released today:

"Our nation's labor market added 163,000 nonfarm payroll jobs in July, which exceeded all forecasts and represented the country's strongest July job growth since 2006.

"The unemployment rate remained essentially unchanged at 8.3 percent, while the share of long-term unemployed fell to its lowest level since 2009. The Latino unemployment rate dropped nearly a percentage point last month to 10.3 percent.

August 3, 2012

Department of Labor files complaint against Dayton Imaging Solutions, Inc., to recover unremitted employee contributions to company’s IRA Plan

Date of Action:  Aug. 3, 2012

Type of Action: Complaint

Names of Defendant:Dayton Imaging Solutions, Inc., Bryan Belden, and the Dayton Imaging Solutions, Inc. SIMPLE IRA Plan located in Dayton, Ohio.

August 2, 2012

ETA Press Release: Unemployment Insurance Weekly Claims Report

SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA In the week ending July 28 the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 365,000, an increase of 8,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 357,000. The 4-week moving average was 365,500, a decrease of 2,750 from the previous week's revised average of 368,250.

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 2.6 percent for the week ending July 21, unchanged from the prior week's unrevised rate.

August 2, 2012

US Labor Department announces availability of $1.1 million grant to establish technical assistance center for increasing employment of people with disabilities

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Disability Employment Policy today announced the availability of a $1.1 million grant to establish the National Center on Leadership for the Employment and Advancement of People with Disabilities, a national technical assistance center that will focus on improving employment outcomes and promoting the economic advancement of people with disabilities.

August 2, 2012

US Labor Departments Office of Disability Employment Policy announces $950,000 grant to establish Accessible Technology Action Center

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Disability Employment Policy today announced the availability of approximately $950,000 to fund a cooperative agreement to establish and operate the Accessible Technology Action Center, a new national resource that will facilitate and promote the use of accessible technology in the hiring, employment, retention and career advancement of individuals with disabilities.

August 2, 2012

US Department of Labor's ERISA Advisory Council to hold public meeting Aug. 28-30

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor's Advisory Council on Employee Welfare and Pension Benefit Plans, also known as the ERISA Advisory Council, will meet Aug. 28-30 at Labor Department headquarters, 200 Constitution Ave. NW, Washington, D.C. 20210, in Room C5521-4. The meeting will run from 9 a.m. to approximately 5 p.m. on Aug. 28 and 29, and from 8:30 a.m. to approximately 4:30 p.m. on Aug. 30.

August 1, 2012

US Department of Labor notifies former Feed Materials Production Center employees of inclusion in new EEOICPA Special Exposure Cohort

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor is notifying former employees of the Feed Materials Production Center in Fernald, Ohio, about a new class of employees added to the Special Exposure Cohort of the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act. The EEOICPA provides compensation and medical benefits to workers who became ill as a result of working in the nuclear weapons industry. Survivors of qualified workers also may be entitled to benefits.

July 31, 2012

MSHA announces results of June impact inspections

ARLINGTON, Va. – The U.S. Department of Labor's Mine Safety and Health Administration today announced that federal inspectors issued 177 citations, 22 orders and one safeguard during special impact inspections conducted at nine coal mines and three metal/nonmetal mines last month.

July 31, 2012

Solis v. Gary Merritt, Bemcore, Inc. and Bemcore, Inc. Incentive Plan in Dayton, Ohio

Date of Action: July 27, 2012

Type of Action: Complaint

Names of Defendants: Gary Merritt, as fiduciary to the Bemcore, Inc. Incentive Plan, Bemcore, Inc. and Bemcore, Inc. Incentive Plan in Dayton, Ohio

July 27, 2012

Statement by Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis on death of Lupe Ontiveros

WASHINGTON – Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis today issued the following statement regarding the death of Lupe Ontiveros:

"Lupe Ontiveros' great talent extended far past television, stage and motion pictures. Indeed, she was a fine actress, but more than that, she was a woman of great action. And she was my friend for more than 20 years.

"Growing up in East Los Angeles in the 1970s, I never saw a family like mine on television, except portrayed as maids or farmworkers. And then Lupe came along and helped to change that.