October 18, 2007

Response to U.S. Senate vote on union financial transparency
by Victoria A. Lipnic, assistant secretary of labor for employment standards

WASHINGTON — Today the U.S. Senate voted (46-47) to cut funding for the U.S. Department of Labor agency that ensures organized labor financial transparency and protects union members dues. The following comments were made on behalf of the U.S. Department of Labor in response to the vote:

"Today's Senate action hurts rank and file union members by cutting the budget of the enforcement agency that ensures they know how their hard earned dues are being spent and that protects them from election fraud, embezzlement of union dues and other financial abuses."

October 17, 2007

U.S. Labor Department sues to compel trustees to manage abandoned Warren, Rhode Island 401(k) plan

Archived News Release — Caution: Information may be out of date.

October 12, 2007

Employee Benefits Security Administration provides additional guidance on timing for individual benefit statements

Archived News Release — Caution: Information may be out of date.

Washington – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) today released Field Assistance Bulletin 2007-03, which provides guidance to EBSA’s national and regional offices relating to the timeframe for furnishing pension benefit statements by certain individual account plans.

October 12, 2007

U.S. Labor Department sues former officer of Detroit business to restore funds to pension and profit-sharing plans

Archived News Release — Caution: Information may be out of date.

October 12, 2007

U.S. Labor Department sues former officer of Detroit business to restore funds to pension and profit-sharing plans

Archived News Release — Caution: Information may be out of date.

October 11, 2007

U.S. Labor Department obtains court order restoring assets to former Portland, Oregon retirement plan

Archived News Release — Caution: Information may be out of date.

Portland, Oregon – The U.S. Department of Labor has obtained a consent order and judgment restoring more than $19,000 to the retirement plan of defunct Rundel Products, Inc. in Portland.

October 10, 2007

U.S. Labor Department sues officer of Chicago healthcare group for failing to properly administer 401(k) plan

Archived News Release — Caution: Information may be out of date.

October 10, 2007

U. S. Labor Department releases advance copies of 2007 Form 5500 Annual Report

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

October 9, 2007

U.S. Labor Department files suit against Houston-based grocery chain
to recover more than $2 million dollars in overtime back wages

Nearly $269,000 in civil penalties also assessed

HOUSTON — The U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division has filed a lawsuit in Houston against the Hong Kong Group Inc., and Hai Du Duong, Ha Duong and Tommy Vo, for allegedly failing to properly pay 391 employees more than $2 million in back wages in violation of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). Civil money penalties totaling $268,812 also have been assessed.

October 9, 2007

U.S. Department of Labor to offer free health law seminar November 7 and 8 in Minneapolis

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

October 9, 2007

U.S. Labor Department launches interactive web tool to help employers comply with retirement laws

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

October 4, 2007

U.S. Labor Department testifies before House Education and Labor Committee on 401(k) fee disclosure

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

October 3, 2007

Pilgrim's Pride Corp. in Pittsburg, Texas, agrees to pay more than 5,300 applicants $1 million for hiring discrimination based on gender and ethnicity

PITTSBURG, Texas — The U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) today announced that Pilgrim's Pride Corp., headquartered in Pittsburg, has entered into two consent decrees to settle the department's allegations that the company engaged in hiring discrimination based on gender and ethnicity over a two-year period against some 5,300 applicants.