WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) today unveiled two initiatives aimed at promoting the hiring of veterans and protecting the rights of applicants with disabilities: The Good Faith Initiative for Veterans Employment (G-FIVE) and Ensuring the Accessibility of Online Application Systems.

Archived News Release — Caution: Information may be out of date.

San Francisco – The U.S. Department of Labor has obtained a consent judgment in which Phoenix-based Hyacinth Corp. and its president agreed to restore $125,000 owed to participants of the corporation’s money purchase plan.

Agency also marks 70th anniversary of Fair Labor Standards Act

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor reminds employers and employees that the federal minimum wage will increase to $6.55 on Thursday, July 24. With this change, employees who are covered by the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) will be entitled to pay at no less than $6.55 per hour.

WASHINGTON — U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao today announced that "America's People, America's Talent... America's Strength!" will be the official 2008 theme for National Disability Employment Awareness Month, which is observed in October nationwide. The 2008 theme captures the accomplishments highlighted in the 2007 progress report on President Bush's New Freedom Initiative for people with disabilities.

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San Francisco – The U.S. Department of Labor has sued North Valley Precision Products of Reno, Nevada, for misusing 401(k) plan assets that resulted in 12 former employees being unable to access their retirement plan accounts.

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Seattle – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) will hold free, half-day workshops July 29 in Seattle to help employers, the employee benefit community and others better comply with the federal pension law.

The workshops will be held at 9:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. PDT in the Henry Jackson Federal Building, 915 Second Avenue in the Evergreen Room.

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Washington – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced a proposed rule that will make it easier for an estimated 65 million participants covered by 401(k)-type plans to make informed retirement savings decisions. The proposal would provide workers with useful summary information, including fee and expense information, for investment options available under their plans.

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New York – Two officers of defunct New York City and Santa Monica, California-based textile companies American Fabrics Co. and Beverly Trimming Co. agreed to restore $111,260 to the companies’ 401(k) plan to resolve a Labor Department lawsuit alleging violations of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA).

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San Francisco — The U.S. Department of Labor has sued a purported employer association, a health fund trustee, and the fund’s consultant over alleged imprudent management of the Manufacturing and Industrial Workers Benefit Fund (MIWU) of Bryan, Texas. The defendants’ actions allegedly resulted in more than $3.4 million in unpaid health claims affecting participants in Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Texas and other states.

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New Haven – The U.S. Department of Labor has obtained a federal court order appointing an independent fiduciary to manage the abandoned 401(k) plan of defunct VA Construction LLC of Waterbury, Connecticut.

Dublin, Ohio – A federal district court in Columbus has granted the U.S. Department of Labor a consent judgment to distribute more than $600,000 in 401(k) assets owed to former workers of American Systems Consulting Inc. of Dublin.

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Salina, Kansas – The U.S. Department of Labor has sued the trustees of the 401(k) and health plans of defunct B&W Electrical Contractors Inc. (formerly of Salina) for failure to forward $22,670.22 in employee contributions to the 401(k) plan and $7,584.82 in health care premiums to the health plan.

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Washington – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) today announced guidance to help plan administrators and service providers comply with the new requirements for reporting service provider fee and compensation information applicable to Form 5500 Annual Returns/Reports filed for plan years beginning on or after January 1, 2009.

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Toledo, Ohio – The U.S. Department of Labor has obtained a consent judgment restoring more than $25,000 owed to the retirement savings plan of Tana Corp. in Toledo as resolution of its lawsuit against the company and plan fiduciary Sharon Scherkoske.

Archived News Release — Caution: Information may be out of date.

Ligonier, Pennsylvania – William R. McAnulty, trustee of the E.R. Caldwell Land Clearing Contractors Inc.’s 401(k) Profit Sharing Plan in Ligonier has agreed to restore $117,477 to the plan to resolve a lawsuit filed by the U.S. Department of Labor.

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Atlanta – The U.S. Department of Labor has sued Carl E. Reid, a corporate officer of defunct American Fittings Inc., for violating the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) by failing to remit employee contributions to the company’s Savings Incentive Match Plan for Employees individual retirement account (SIMPLE IRA).

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NEW YORK — The U.S. Department of Labor and Troy, Mich.-based Delphi Corp. have obtained approval of settlement by the U.S. bankruptcy court in New York that allows the government to recover more than $2.2 million in retirement plan assets owed to the Delphi Personal Savings Plan for Hourly Employees in the United States.

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Washington – The U.S. Department of Labor 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 for receipt of nominations is August 31, 2008.

Archived News Release — Caution: Information may be out of date.

Washington – The Advisory Council on Employee Welfare and Pension Benefit Plans (also known as the ERISA Council) and its three working groups will meet July 15 to17 in Washington, D.C., at the U.S. Department of Labor, 200 Constitution Avenue NW, Room C5515-4.

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Atlanta – The U.S. Department of Labor has sued Professional Employee Leasing Inc. in Dadeville, Alabama, Louie Sims and Judy Sims to recover more than $200,000 allegedly diverted by the defendants from the company’s money purchase pension plan in violation of the federal Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA).