Grants will enhance innovative employment and training programs

WASHINGTON – Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis today announced the availability of approximately $98.5 million through the Workforce Innovation Fund to support employment and training services. The fund invests in programs that support, evaluate and enhance workforce investment strategies, particularly for vulnerable populations. A solicitation for grant applications will be published in the Dec. 23 edition of the Federal Register.

SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA In the week ending December 17, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 364,000, a decrease of 4,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 368,000. The 4-week moving average was 380,250, a decrease of 8,000 from the previous week's revised average of 388,250.

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 2.8 percent for the week ending December 10, a decrease of 0.1 percentage point from the prior week's unrevised rate.

ARLINGTON, Va. – The U.S. Department of Labor's Mine Safety and Health Administration today announced that federal inspectors issued 315 citations, orders and safeguards during special impact inspections conducted at 10 coal mines and six metal/nonmetal mines last month. The coal mines were issued 200 citations, 50 orders and one safeguard, while the metal/nonmetal operations were issued 62 citations and two orders.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced a $992,586 grant to assist about 180 workers affected by the closure of Solo Cup in North Andover, Mass.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced the minimum hourly wage rates that employers must pay H-2A workers in order to ensure that the wages of similarly employed U.S. workers are not adversely affected. These H-2A adverse effect wage rates are calculated for each occupation and location using the U.S. Department of Agriculture's annual wages rates from its regional Farm Labor Survey of nonfamily field and livestock workers.

SEATTLE – The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration has ordered Omaha, Neb.-based Union Pacific Railroad Co. to immediately reinstate an employee in Idaho who was terminated after reporting a work-related injury. OSHA also has ordered the company to pay the employee more than $300,000 in back wages, compensatory damages, attorney's fees and punitive damages.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor has announced a $1,424,500 National Emergency Grant increment to provide re-employment services to approximately 1,100 workers affected by layoffs that occurred in multiple industries throughout Louisiana.

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of International Labor Affairs has awarded a $13 million cooperative agreement to nongovernmental organization Desarrollo y Autogestión to combat exploitative child labor in Peru. To implement the project, Desarrollo y Autogestión will partner with World Learning, a U.S.-based nonprofit organization, and DESCO, a development organization.

GOLDSBORO, N.C. – The U.S. Department of Labor is suing Jeffreys Seed Co. and its corporate officers to restore $20,324.08 in employee contributions to the defunct Goldsboro company’s employee pension and health plans. The department’s lawsuit resulted from an investigation by its Employee Benefits Security Administration that revealed violations of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act by the company, its president, Edward Taylor Jeffreys, and its corporate secretary, James T. Jeffreys III.

BOSTON – Stephen Thomas, individually and as a trustee of the Gagne Precast Concrete Products Inc. Employee Stock Ownership Plan, has agreed to restore $225,000 to the Gagne ESOP and take other corrective action to resolve a lawsuit filed by the U.S. Department of Labor alleging violations of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act. In a concurrent voluntary settlement agreement with the department, Thomas has agreed to pay $75,000 to the Frank L. Woodworth Inc. Employee Stock Ownership Plan, for which he also was a trustee.

SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA In the week ending December 10, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 366,000, a decrease of 19,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 385,000. The 4-week moving average was 387,750, a decrease of 6,500 from the previous week's revised average of 394,250.

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 2.9 percent for the week ending December 3, unchanged from the prior week's revised rate.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced a grant of $186,000 to assist about 40 workers affected by layoffs from CCI Systems Inc. in Iron Mountain, Mich. Layoffs at this facility, which provides design, engineering, and implementation services for communication network equipment, occurred from August 2010 through August 2011.

WASHINGTON — Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis and Deputy Secretary of Labor Seth D. Harris today commemorated the Office of Disability Employment Policy's 10th anniversary by celebrating the positive impact of its policies and program initiatives with major leaders in the community. Featured speakers included Sen. Tom Harkin (Iowa); Rep. Steny Hoyer (Maryland); Kareem Dale, special assistant to the president for disability policy; Kathleen Martinez, assistant secretary of labor for ODEP and past assistant secretaries for the office.

Date of Action: Dec. 5, 2011

Name(s) of Defendant(s): Robert Lewis Berkopec and McIntyre Construction Inc.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today made available a $3,390,230 National Emergency Grant increment to continue providing re-employment services to approximately 2,500 workers of 79 companies, predominantly in the manufacturing sector, who have been affected by layoffs and plant closures in Wisconsin.

OSHA urges salon owners to implement protective measures

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration is continuing its efforts to protect workers from the dangers of formaldehyde exposure.

SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA In the week ending December 3, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 381,000, a decrease of 23,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 404,000. The 4-week moving average was 393,250, a decrease of 3,000 from the previous week's revised average of 396,250.

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 2.8 percent for the week ending November 26, a decrease of 0.2 percentage point from the prior week's unrevised rate.

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor is proposing a new rule that would require federal contractors and subcontractors to set a hiring goal of having 7 percent of their workforces be people with disabilities, among other requirements. The department's Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs invites public comment on this proposal, which will be published in the Dec. 9 edition of the Federal Register.

MONTGOMERY, Ala. – Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Inc. has settled allegations made by the U.S. Department of Labor that the company and one of its employees violated the Employee Retirement Income Security Act by failing to prevent the fiduciaries of pension plans of two Alabama-based companies from engaging in prohibited transactions. The out-of-court settlement requires Merrill Lynch to restore a total of $170,854 to the plans and provide additional training to its investment advisers serving as fiduciaries of employee benefit plans.

Date of Action:  November 28, 2011

Type of Action:  Civil Complaint & Consent Order and Judgment

Names of Defendants: Gary L. Goble, Stephens’ Drugs Inc. and the Stephens’ Drugs 401(k) Retirement Plan located in Louisville, Ky.