Chicago – The U.S. Department of Labor has sued the trustees of the employee stock ownership plans and eligible individual account plans of DirecTECH Holding Co. Inc. and its former subsidiaries, DirecTECH Inc., Michigan Microtech Inc., JBM Inc. and DirecTECH Southwest Inc., the companies’ boards of directors and the parties who sold stock at inflated prices to the plans for alleged violations of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA).

Boston - The U.S. Department of Labor has filed a lawsuit asking the U.S. District Court for the District of New Hampshire to appoint an independent fiduciary to oversee the abandoned 401(k) plan of Media Solutions Inc. of Merrimack, New Hampshire, a defunct corporation.

Washington – The head of the U.S. Department of Labor's Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) will host a live Web chat -open to the public and members of the press - to discuss their respective regulatory agendas. The Labor Department's entire regulatory agenda is published in today's Federal Register.

WASHINGTON – U.S. Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis issued the following statement on the November 2009 Employment Situation report released today:

"This past November, the economy lost 11,000 jobs, and the unemployment rate decreased to 10 percent.

"I am encouraged by the pattern of moderated job loss; however, I will not be satisfied until there are robust job gains.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced that approximately 2,300 workers from companies in seven states – Illinois, Missouri, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Tennessee – and Puerto Rico are eligible to apply for Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA).

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced a grant of up to $831,423 to assist approximately 75 workers affected by layoffs at Hampton Affiliates' Tillamook Lumber in Tillamook, Ore.

"Today's grant will provide the retraining and re-employment services necessary for these Oregonians to upgrade existing skills or seek out retraining that leads to careers in growing regional industries," said Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis.

SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA In the week ending Nov. 28, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 457,000, a decrease of 5,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 462,000. The 4-week moving average was 481,250, a decrease of 14,250 from the previous week's revised average of 495,500.

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 4.1 percent for the week ending Nov. 21, unchanged from the prior week's unrevised rate of 4.1 percent.

Online job search sites invited to submit products to Web 2.0 platform

BECKLEY, W.Va. – The U.S. Department of Labor's Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) today announced a multifaceted, comprehensive strategy to end new cases of black lung among the nation's coal miners. Black lung is a collection of debilitating and potentially fatal diseases from respirable coal mine dust exposure. These diseases have been on the rise in recent years. MSHA's initiative to curb black lung will include focused enforcement, targeted education and training, rulemaking and collaboration with stakeholders.

Agreement will result in payment of more than $937,000 in back wages, interest to nearly 600 US workers at Eurofresh Inc.

PHOENIX — Eurofresh Inc. of Willcox, Ariz., has reached an agreement with the U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division to pay $937,460 in back wages and interest to 587 U.S. workers following an investigation into company practices related to hiring temporary, non-immigrant foreign agricultural workers.

Gulfport, Mississippi – A federal district court in Gulfport, Mississippi, has ordered Jomey B. Ethridge liable for $303,084.61 in assets belonging to the 401(k) plan of bankrupt Struthers Industries and permanently barred him from serving as fiduciary of any plan governed by the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA).

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced a $2,422,473 grant to provide an estimated 1,892 jobless workers with partial premium payments for health insurance coverage.

"Finding new employment is a challenging enough task without having to worry about lacking health coverage for yourself or your family. This funding will help eligible workers avoid that prospect by helping them pay for health insurance while they look for a job," said Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis.

New version incorporates recent changes to federal employment laws

Boston – The U.S. Department of Labor has obtained a consent judgment and order recovering more than $89,000 owed to the participants of the T.E. Corcoran Co. Inc. Profit Sharing Plan as a result of loans made to the plan sponsor and an affiliated company by plan trustees. The plan was sponsored by the plumbing and heating company based in Brockton, Massachusetts, for the benefit of the company’s employees.

SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA In the week ending Nov. 21, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 466,000, a decrease of 35,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 501,000. The 4-week moving average was 496,500, a decrease of 16,500 from the previous week's revised average of 513,000.

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 4.1 percent for the week ending Nov. 14, a decrease of 0.2 percentage point from the prior week's unrevised rate of 4.3 percent.

Blackstone, Va. – The U.S. Department of Labor has sued to have an independent fiduciary appointed to oversee the tax deferred savings plan of OSF America Inc., a defunct company formerly located in Blackstone.

Spring Lakes, Mich. – The U.S. Department of Labor has obtained a consent order and judgment requiring Tile Impressions Inc. of Spring Lakes be removed as fiduciary of the company's 401(k) plan for failure to properly administer the plan in violation of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA).

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced that workers from New United Motor Manufacturing Inc. (NUMMI) in Fremont, Calif., are eligible to apply for Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA).

St. Louis, Mo. – The U.S. Department of Labor's Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) will sponsor "Getting It Right - Know Your Fiduciary Responsibilities," a free retirement plan seminar in St. Louis on December 8 at the Robert A. Young Federal Building, Second Floor Auditorium - Room 2-308, 1222 Spruce St.

DENVER The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the Wage and Hour Division together have fined Tempel Grain Elevators LLP of Wiley, Colo., more than $1.6 million following the May 29 death of a teenage worker at the company's Haswell, Colo., grain storage operation. The youth suffocated after being engulfed by grain in one of the facility bins. The company also exposed three other teenage workers to the cited hazards.