WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor today announced a $702,741 National Emergency Grant incremental award to continue creating temporary jobs for eligible individuals to assist with the cleanup and recovery efforts resulting from the severe storms, tornadoes and flooding in Arkansas that occurred between May 30 and June 3, 2013. Funds are being awarded to the Arkansas Department of Workforce Services.

BLUEFIELD, Va. — U.S. Magistrate Judge Pamela Meade Sargent ordered the garnishment of an additional $5,002 in liquidated damages from the Tazewell County accounting firm of Raymond A. Froy Jr., CPA, P.C., and its president, Raymond A. Froy Jr., after ruling that the defendants failed to meet the terms of a consent judgment with the U.S. Department of Labor.

POMPANO BEACH, Fla. — The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration has cited The Roof Authority Inc. of Fort Pierce for one willful and one serious safety violation following an August 2013 inspection at a job site on North Palm-Aire Drive in Pompano Beach. OSHA conducted its inspection as part of the agency's regional emphasis program for falls in construction. Proposed penalties total $59,290.

WASHINGTON — Senior officials from the U.S. Department of Labor and the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative and their Government of Panama counterparts today concluded the first Labor Affairs Council meeting under the U.S.-Panama Trade Promotion Agreement in Panama City, Panama. During the Jan. 27-28 meetings, officials reaffirmed their commitments under the Labor Chapter of the TPA and discussed:

Date of Action: Jan. 17, 2014

Name(s) of Defendant(s): Raymond Orsuto; 800 West Salon Inc.; 800 West Salon Inc. Retirement Savings Plan

Allegations: The department filed a complaint against Raymond Orsuto, 800 West Salon Inc. and the 800 West Salon Inc. Retirement Savings Plan on Aug. 13, 2013, alleging that Orsuto and the company failed to ensure employee contributions to the plan were remitted and remitted on a timely basis from 2007 through 2009.

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor today announced the availability of approximately $6 million in grants for the fourth round of the Workforce Data Quality Initiative, a program designed to improve the quality and availability of workforce data and help states to better understand how education and workforce development programs complement each other.

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor today announced a settlement with Western Asset Management Company, a subsidiary of Legg Mason Inc. This follows investigations, which revealed the purchase of prohibited securities that resulted in losses to the accounts of nearly 100 employee benefit plans and investment funds holding plan assets. The settlement also resolves findings that the company engaged in prohibited cross-trading of securities in the accounts of other retirement plans and funds, which caused additional losses.

WASHINGTON — U.S. Secretary of Labor Thomas E. Perez has issued the following statement regarding the department's Bureau of Labor Statistics report released today on union membership in 2013:

"Today the Bureau of Labor Statistics announced that, in 2013, the unionization rate of employed wage and salary workers was 11.3 percent. Among private-sector employees, the rate was 6.7 percent.

SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA In the week ending January 18, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 326,000, an increase of 1,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 325,000. The 4-week moving average was 331,500, a decrease of 3,750 from the previous week's revised average of 335,250.

Date of Action: Jan. 21, 2014

Type of Action: Consent order and judgment

Defendants: Darryl J. Grandy and the Syracuse Lithographing Co. Employees Profit Sharing Retirement Plan

PENSACOLA, Fla. — Teen Challenge of Florida Inc., an international rehabilitation program, has been cited by the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration with 25 safety and health violations following an inspection of the company's facilities in Pensacola. OSHA initiated the July 2013 inspection after receiving a complaint alleging safety and health hazards. Proposed penalties total $228,600.

ATLANTA —— The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration has cited American Air Filter Co. Inc., doing business as AAF International, with two repeat, five serious and one other-than-serious safety violation following an inspection of the company's manufacturing facility on Weaver Way in Atlanta. The inspection, prompted by a complaint, began in August 2013. It resulted in $64,040 in proposed penalties.

EL PASO, Texas — The U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs and Workforce Solutions Upper Rio Grande are sponsoring the Fort Bliss Replacement Hospital Symposium and Job Fair. Both events will be held in El Paso on March 19. The symposium will be held at the Workforce Solutions Norman Haley Employment Center, 300 E. Main St., from 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. The job fair will be held at the El Paso County Coliseum, 4100 E.

WASHINGTON — Cargill Meat Solutions, headquartered in Wichita, Kan., has agreed to settle charges of hiring discrimination based on race and sex with the U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs. Under the agreement, Cargill will pay $2,236,218 in back wages and interest to 2,959 applicants who were rejected for production jobs at facilities in Springdale, Ark.; Fort Morgan, Colo.; and Beardstown, Ill., between 2005 and 2009.

WASHINGTON — Cargill Meat Solutions, headquartered in Wichita, Kan., has agreed to settle charges of hiring discrimination based on race and sex with the U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs. Under the agreement, Cargill will pay $2,236,218 in back wages and interest to 2,959 applicants who were rejected for production jobs at facilities in Springdale, Ark.; Fort Morgan, Colo.; and Beardstown, Ill., between 2005 and 2009.

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor today announced a $10 million settlement agreement with People Care Holdings Inc. and former owners Bruce Jacobson and Jerry Lewkowitz, who sold the company to their employees through creation of an employee stock ownership plan. The department contended that they violated the Employee Retirement Income Security Act by permitting the ESOP to purchase People Care stock from them for more than its fair market value.

WASHINGTON — U.S. Secretary of Labor Thomas E. Perez today issued the following statement regarding Monday's catastrophe at International Nutrition Inc. in Omaha:

"My deepest condolences go out to the families and communities that lost loved ones in the tragedy at International Nutrition Inc. in Omaha. It is heartbreaking when workers lose their lives while providing for their families.

SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA In the week ending January 11, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 326,000, a decrease of 2,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 328,000. The 4-week moving average was 335,000, a decrease of 13,500 from the previous week's revised average of 348,500.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — An ongoing enforcement initiative conducted by the U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division focusing on the child care industry in Kentucky has uncovered significant violations of the minimum wage, overtime and record-keeping provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act. In fiscal year 2013, the division's Louisville District Office conducted 59 cases involving child care providers, resulting in more than $170,000 in back wages for more than 600 workers.

Date of Action: Jan. 2, 2014

Type of Action: Default Judgment and Order

Names of Defendants: Zohouri Group LLC and Farbod S. Zohouri