April 29, 2010

US Department of Labor provides $1.3 million to continue weather-related disaster recovery efforts in Indiana

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor has announced a $1.3 million National Emergency Grant supplemental award to continue clean-up and recovery efforts from storms that occurred in Indiana in 2008.

"Indiana is still in the midst of recovering from the terrible storms that struck the state in the summer of 2008," said Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis. "Additional funding announced today will help support temporary jobs for Hoosiers impacted by these storms."

April 29, 2010

Statement of US Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis on Protecting America's Workers Act

WASHINGTON – Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis today issued the following statement in support of the Protecting America's Workers Act:

"It has been 40 years since the Occupational Safety and Health Act was passed, but every day 14 workers are killed on the job. Tens of thousands more die from work-related disease every year, and 4.6 million are seriously injured.

April 29, 2010

DOL certifies approximately 4,700 workers in 12 states as eligible to apply for Trade Adjustment Assistance

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced that approximately 4,700 workers from companies in 12 states – Florida, Kentucky, Maine, Michigan, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia and Wisconsin – are eligible to apply for Trade Adjustment Assistance.

April 29, 2010

Statement of US Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis in memory of Dr. Dorothy Height

WASHINGTON – Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis today issued the following statement regarding the funeral and memorial service for Dr. Dorothy Height:

"Today, our nation remembered the life of Dr. Dorothy Height during funeral services at Washington National Cathedral in Washington, D.C. She was a champion of the civil rights movement and a staunch women's advocate. Dr. Height understood that the way forward in the civil rights movement was connected to the education and economic prosperity of African-Americans.

April 29, 2010

US Labor Departments MSHA notified of roof collapse at Dotiki Mine in Hopkins County, Ky.

WASHINGTONU.S. Department of Labor Mine Safety and Health Administration spokesperson Amy Louviere today issued the following statement regarding a roof collapse at Dotiki Mine in Hopkins County, Ky.:

"On April 28, at approximately 10:40 p.m. CDT, MSHA received word of a roof collapse at the Dotiki Mine in Hopkins County, Ky. Dotiki is operated by Webster County Coal LLC and owned by Alliance Resource Partners LP.

April 28, 2010

Statement of US Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis on Workers Memorial Day

WASHINGTON – Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis today issued the following statement on Workers Memorial Day, April 28, 2010:

"Mary Harris 'Mother' Jones once said, 'Pray for the dead and fight like hell for the living.' That call to arms rings especially true today, on Workers Memorial Day, and on the heels of a tragic month for the nation's working families.

April 28, 2010

US Labor Departments OSHA releases data detailing worker exposure to toxic chemicals

WASHINGTON – In keeping with the president's memorandum on open government, the U.S. Labor Department's Occupational Safety and Health Administration is releasing 15 years of data providing details of workplace exposure to toxic chemicals.

April 27, 2010

US Labor Department announces $5 million grant competition to serve homeless female veterans and veterans with families

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor's Veterans' Employment and Training Service today announced a $5 million grant competition to provide job training, counseling and placement services (including job readiness, and literacy and skills training) to expedite the reintegration of homeless female veterans and veterans with families into the labor force.

April 27, 2010

Hazard complaints result in surprise inspections at 3 Massey-owned mines

ARLINGTON, Va.The U.S. Department of Labor's Mine Safety and Health Administration today announced that MSHA inspectors responded to three separate anonymous complaints about hazardous conditions at three coal mines owned by Massey Energy Co.

April 27, 2010

U.S. Department of Labor sues Burnsville, Minnesota, executive to restore plan assets and bar defendant from serving as plan fiduciary

Burnsville, Minnesota – The U.S. Department of Labor has sued Larry Lauterbach, the president and former owner of the Burnsville construction company Slate Cement Inc., for making untimely and delinquent participant contributions and loan repayments to the company’s 401(k) plan and to its health and dental plan in violation of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act.

April 26, 2010

US Labor Departments Womens Bureau to host 2nd teleconference in series of 7 on womens entrepreneurship in green industries on Thursday, April 29

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor s Women s Bureau will host a teleconference focusing on opportunities and resources available to help women succeed in green entrepreneurship. This program, which is open to the public and press, will be the second in a series of teleconferences designed to provide workforce practitioners an exchange of ideas on how to better connect women with green jobs training and employment.

WHO: Speakers are as follows:

April 25, 2010

US Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis issues statement on worker deaths

WASHINGTON – Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis today issued the following statement on worker deaths:

"Yesterday we received the sad news that another worker died from injuries he sustained from the fire earlier this month at the Tesoro Corp.'s Anacortes, Wash., refinery. That brings to seven the number who lost their lives in that tragedy. Today the families and friends of those workers gather to mourn their loss. They are in our prayers, and our hearts go out to them.

April 25, 2010

Statement by US Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis on death of Willard Wirtz

WASHINGTON – U.S. Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis today issued the following statement on the death of W. Willard Wirtz:

"Willard Wirtz liked to call me '25.' So I would call him '10.' The number suited him perfectly.

April 23, 2010

U.S. Labor Department consent judgment requires corporate officer of Midland Employer Services to repay more than $46,000

Nashville, Tennessee – The U.S. Department of Labor has agreed to an amended consent judgment with David Starkey, a former corporate officer of Midland Employer Services in Brentwood, Tennessee.

Filed in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee, Nashville division, the amended judgment requires the defendant to repay the full amount still owed to the former company’s group health plan, currently $46,248.75 plus interest accrued from April 25, 2005, to the present.

April 23, 2010

U.S. Labor Department obtains default judgment against former employee leasing company in Brentwood, Tennessee, to protect workers’ 401(k) assets

Nashville, Tennessee – A federal court in Nashville has issued a default judgment order against Midland Employer Services of Brentwood, Tennessee, to protect 401(k) assets owned by workers at the defunct employee leasing company.

The order, issued by the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee, removes the defendant from service as fiduciary of the plan and appoints Jeanne Barnes Bryant as an independent fiduciary with responsibility to terminate the plan and distribute its assets to eligible plan participants.

April 22, 2010

US Department of Labor provides $16.6 million to continue tsunami recovery efforts in American Samoa

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced a $16,571,738 National Emergency Grant increment to continue clean-up and recovery efforts in the wake of the tsunami that struck American Samoa on Sept. 29, 2009.

April 22, 2010

US Labor Department releases report on green jobs training initiatives

Turning Green to Gold, Safely campaign to collect best practices from public

April 22, 2010

Muhlenberg Job Corps Center of Greenville, Ky., receives 1st ever Earth Day, Every Day award from Labor Secretary Hilda L. Solis

WASHINGTON – The Muhlenberg Job Corps Center of Greenville, Ky., today received the first ever "Earth Day, Every Day" National Green Center Recognition Award from Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis in an Earth Day 40th anniversary ceremony at the U.S. Department of Labor.

April 22, 2010

US Department of Labor certifies approximately 5,500 workers in 13 states as eligible to apply for Trade Adjustment Assistance

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced that approximately 5,500 workers from companies in 13 states – California, Florida, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Michigan, Mississippi, North Carolina, Ohio, Tennessee, Utah and Wisconsin – are eligible to apply for Trade Adjustment Assistance.

April 22, 2010

US Department of Labors OSHA takes action to protect Americas workers with severe violator program and increased penalties

WASHINGTON – Every day, about 14 Americans fail to come home from work to their families. Tens of thousands die from workplace disease and more than 4.6 million workers are seriously injured on the job annually. The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration, in an effort to address urgent safety and health problems facing Americans in the workplace, is implementing a new Severe Violator Enforcement Program and increasing civil penalty amounts.