WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor's Employee Benefits Security Administration is soliciting 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 is Sept. 16.

WASHINGTON The U.S. Department of Labor today announced a $248,878 National Emergency Grant to provide training and re-employment services for about 60 workers affected by layoffs at Thompson/Center Arms in Rochester, N.H., which began in January and will continue through the end of the year.

"This grant will help these dislocated workers by equipping them with the skills necessary to obtain good, stable jobs in New Hampshire's high-growth industries," said Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis.

WASHINGTON The U.S. Department of Labor today announced a $379,500 National Emergency Grant to provide training and employment services to about 200 workers affected by the closure of the Premier Bankcard call center in Spearfish, S.D. The company announced in May that it would be closing the center and permanently laying off its workers.

"This grant will help dislocated workers by equipping them with the skills necessary to obtain good, stable jobs in the area's high-growth industries," said Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis.

WASHINGTON – Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis today released a new online publication, "Trauma-Informed Care for Women Veterans Experiencing Homelessness: A Guide for Service Providers." Available on the website of the U.S. Department of Labor's Women's Bureau at http://www.dol.gov/wb/trauma/, the guide explains the unique experiences and needs of women veterans, and provides organizational self-assessment tools to aid service providers, such as social workers and community service organizations, that assist this population.

Date of Action:  July 14, 2011

Type of Action:  Consent order and judgment

Name(s) of Defendant: SME Inc., d/b/a Allegra Print & Imaging and Sean Eagan, individually and as fiduciaries to the Allegra Print and Imaging 401(k) Plan and Trust and the Allegra Print and Imaging Health Plan

ATLANTA – The U.S. Department of Labor has obtained a consent judgment that restores $16,047 to the participants in Craftsmen Custom Cabinets Inc.’s savings incentive match plan for employees individual retirement account.

Filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia, Atlanta Division, the judgment issued by Judge Marvin Shoob requires that Barry Pugh and his wife, Cynthia Pugh, restore the funds and that none of the restored funds shall be allocated to the accounts of either of the defendants.  

MINNEAPOLIS – The U.S. Department of Labor has sued the Mirror Factory Inc., a custom mirror and glass company in Plymouth, Minn., and its co-owners, Jeff Hagstrom and Daniel Elofson, to restore $14,651.38 in employees’ pre-tax contributions plus lost interest to the company’s 401(k) plan. The case resulted from an investigation by the department’s Employee Benefits Security Administration into alleged violations of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act.

Special Factor: Minnesota has indicated that approximately 11,500 of their reported initial claims are a result of state employees filing due to the state government shutdown.

SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA In the week ending July 9, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 405,000, a decrease of 22,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 427,000. The 4-week moving average was 423,250, a decrease of 3,750 from the previous week's revised average of 427,000.

$70,000 in prizes available for innovative use of department data

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of International Labor Affairs today announced a $2.5 million competitive solicitation for a cooperative agreement to evaluate and monitor child labor projects funded by the agency.

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of International Labor Affairs today announced a $15 million competitive solicitation for a cooperative agreement to support efforts to combat exploitative child labor in areas of sugarcane production in the Philippines.

Qualified organization(s) will implement technical assistance projects that aim to combat child labor by:

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of International Labor Affairs today announced a $15 million competitive solicitation for a cooperative agreement to combat exploitative child labor internationally by implementing the Global Action Program. This initiative aims to advance and scale up ILAB's global efforts to reduce the prevalence of child labor and improve the livelihoods of vulnerable populations, including child domestic workers.

WASHINGTON — Kathy Martinez, assistant secretary of labor for the Office of Disability Employment Policy, today testified before the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions to discuss the U.S. Department of Labor's public and private partnership initiatives designed to connect people with disabilities and employment opportunities.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor has launched a first-of-its-kind federal website to make it easier for software developers to incorporate Labor Department data into online and mobile applications. The site features published application program interfaces, known as APIs, and software development kits, known as SDKs, which allow developers to remotely access data collected by the department.

Top advisors on disability issues to answer questions submitted electronically by the public

WASHINGTON — Members of the White House Domestic Policy Council, Office of Public Engagement and Office of Presidential Personnel will participate in a virtual town hall meeting hosted by Disability.gov, the federal government's website for disability-related information, on Thursday, July 14, from 1-2 p.m. EDT. The event will be streamed live on the site's home page.

WASHINGTON – Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis today issued the following statement regarding record temperatures across the country:

"Record heat is hitting the nation, putting outdoor workers at risk of heat-related illnesses, including heat exhaustion and heat stroke. Plan now so that you can take the precautions needed to protect outdoor workers during this heat wave:

P. Gioioso & Sons Inc. repeatedly cited for unprotected trenches and excavations

WASHINGTON – The Obama administration today launched from New Orleans, La., Strong Cities, Strong Communities, to be known as SC2, a customized pilot initiative to strengthen capacity and spark economic growth in local communities, while ensuring taxpayer dollars are used wisely and efficiently. To accomplish these objectives, federal agencies will provide experienced staff to work directly with six cities: Chester, Pa.; Cleveland, Ohio; Detroit, Mich.; Fresno, Calif.; Memphis, Tenn.; and New Orleans.

WASHINGTON – Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis issued the following statement on the June 2011 Employment Situation report released today:

"Our nation's labor market experienced slower growth in the month of June. The private sector added 57,000 jobs, but federal, state and local governments cut a combined 39,000 positions, resulting in a total gain of 18,000 non-farm payroll jobs last month. The national unemployment rate edged up to 9.2 percent.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration is seeking nominations for membership to the Federal Advisory Council on Occupational Safety and Health by Sept. 6.