CHICAGO ‒ Thirty-nine people died doing trench or excavation work in the U.S. in 2022 – four in Illinois and two others in Ohio. In fact, the number of worker fatalities more than doubled since 2021, continuing a troubling trend cited by the Bureau of Labor Statistics that found 166 workers died in trench cave-ins from 2011-2018, an average of 21 each year.

DES MOINES, IA – In September 2022, the U.S. Department of Labor obtained a consent judgment to recover $1.7 million for nearly 2,900 workers employed by 145 different subcontractors in 2015 to euthanize birds and dispose of carcasses during the avian flu outbreak and is trying to locate workers owed back wages.

Employers:         Nyrio Investments Corp., operating as Stateline Liquor & Wine at 1069 Main Street, Southaven, MS 38671

                             Three Star Investments, operating as Three Star Liquor Store, 3305 South 3rd Street, Memphis, TN 38109

WASHINGTON – U.S. Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs Julie McClain Downey issued the following statement on the March 2023 Employment Situation Report:

JERSEY SHORE, PA – A U.S. Department of Labor investigation has again found Dollar General exposing workers to dangerous safety hazards – including blocked emergency exit routes and electrical panels – this time during a November 2022 inspection at a Jersey Shore, Pennsylvania, store.

Participant:    Guarantee Electrical Contracting LLC

                              1390 Wheeling St.

                              Denver, CO 80239

HOUSTON – A federal workplace safety investigation into a Houston wind turbine parts manufacturing facility – operated by Proinlosa Energy Corp. – determined the employer failed to address safety violations found in a previous inspection from April 2022.

CINCINNATI ‒ While working the overnight sanitation shift at an Ohio food processing plant, a 29-year-old temporary worker – on the job just nine months – suffered critical injuries after falling into an industrial blender he was cleaning and became caught in the rotating paddle augers. The worker’s injuries led to a leg amputation.

Ubicaciones del empleador:   Westheimer Car Wash LLC, 12810 Westheimer Road, Houston (Sede principal)

                                                               Hobby Car Wash LLC, 7991 Bellfort Ave., Houston

BOLLINGER COUNTY, MO - Workers and others engaged in recovery and cleanup operations after at least one tornado struck the Village of Glenallen in Bollinger County in the early hours of April 5, 2023, may face hazards related to falls, downed power lines and sharp debris.

Employer locations:   Westheimer Car Wash LLC, 12810 Westheimer Road, Houston (Headquarters)

                                      Hobby Car Wash LLC, 7991 Bellfort Ave., Houston

Participant:   L.L. Bean Manufacturing Brunswick

Brunswick, Maine

Description:   L.L. Bean Manufacturing Brunswick employs about 200 workers at the Brunswick facility where they manufacture and assemble boots, dog beds and perform custom embroidery.

In the week ending April 1, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 228,000, a decrease of 18,000 from the previous week's revised level. The previous week's level was revised up by 48,000 from 198,000 to 246,000. The 4-week moving average was 237,750, a decrease of 4,250 from the previous week's revised average. The previous week's average was revised up by 43,750 from 198,250 to 242,000.

GRAND RAPIDS, MI – The U.S. Department of Labor has recovered $62,412 in back wages and damages for 20 workers after a federal court in Michigan supported the department’s findings that a Grand Rapids restaurant denied overtime wages to the workers and failed to pay minimum wage to one server.

DUNDEE, OH – An Ohio lathe mill has paid an enhanced child labor enforcement penalty of $22,093 after  federal investigators found the company employed a 15-year-old worker illegally in a hazardous occupation –the operation of a sawmill – which led the worker to suffer injury when he became entangled in the gears of a powered wood processing machine.

Employer:                                          Timberline Construction Group LLC

WASHINGTON – To maximize the impact of the Biden-Harris administration’s historic infrastructure, manufacturing and clean energy investments, the U.S. Department of Labor today announced the availability of $80 million in funding through its Building Pathways to Infrastructure Jobs Grant Program.

First Lady Dr. Jill Biden will highlight the announcement during her travel this week as part of the administration’s “Investing in America” tour.

Participant:   Wheelabrator Bridgeport

Bridgeport, Connecticut

Description:  Wheelabrator employs about 70 workers at the Bridgeport site. The site is a waste-to-energy facility generating electricity for the New England power grid.

Employer names:     

Stark Truss Baltimore LLC, 1200 E. Patapsco Ave., Baltimore, MD 21225

Jordi Construction LLC, 6706 Coolridge Road, Temple Hills, MD 20748

Date of action:                       March 31, 2023

Type of action:                      Complaint

Names of defendant:         Medi-Wheels of the Palm Beaches Inc.