WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Secretary of Labor Alexander Acosta issued the following statement regarding Martin Luther King, Jr., Day:

“Today, we celebrate the 90th anniversary of the birth of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and his work to open opportunities to all Americans. As the Department of Labor observes Martin Luther King, Jr., Day, we are reminded of Dr. King’s belief in the dignity of work and that no job is insignificant.”

MIAMI, FL – After an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor's Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA), the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida has sentenced Lanny Todd Fried – of Palm Beach Gardens, Florida – to 57 months in prison and 36 months of supervised release; and ordered him to pay a $81,163 fine for his role in a healthcare-related, money-laundering scheme.

HASTINGS, NE – The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has cited Noah's Ark Processors LLC – based in Hastings, Nebraska – for process safety management violations after an employee suffered severe burns caused by exposure to anhydrous ammonia, a gas used as an industrial refrigerant. The beef processing plant faces penalties of $182,926 for 16 serious safety violations.

SAVANNAH, GA – Wilmington Senior Care LLC - operator of a senior living community in Savannah, Georgia – has paid $15,241 in back wages and liquidated damages to six employees after a U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division (WHD) investigation determined the employer violated overtime and recordkeeping provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).

LITTLE ROCK, AR - The U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division (WHD) will present an educational forum about developments in its policies and regulations, and its Payroll Audit Independent Determination Program (PAID), in Little Rock, Arkansas, on January 31, 2019.

In the week ending January 12, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 213,000, a decrease of 3,000 from the previous week's unrevised level of 216,000. The 4-week moving average was 220,750, a decrease of 1,000 from the previous week's unrevised average of 221,750.

WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced an opioid-crisis Dislocated Worker Grant (DWG) award to the New York State Department of Labor to provide disaster relief jobs and employment services to eligible individuals in New York counties impacted by the health and economic effects of widespread opioid use, addiction, and overdose. Funding has been approved up to $5,591,446 with an initial award of $1,863,815.

WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced the retirement of Assistant Secretary of Labor for Congressional and Intergovernmental Affairs Katherine McGuire, after 25 years of public service.

"I want to thank Katherine McGuire for communicating the Department's work to policymakers both in Washington, and throughout the nation," said U.S. Secretary of Labor Alexander Acosta. "We wish Katherine well as she retires from a remarkable career serving the American people."

WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has developed a collection of compliance assistance resources to address falls in the workplace, the leading cause of worker fatality in the construction industry. OSHA's goal is to promote awareness about common fall hazards in construction, educate job creators and workers on fall prevention, and reduce the number of fall-related injuries and fatalities.

DALLAS, TX – The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has cited RKM Utility Services Inc. for failing to protect workers from hydrogen sulfide after an employee died after exposure to dangerous levels of the gas while working in a trench in Dallas, Texas.

JACKSONVILLE, FL – Stone World Imports and Manufacturing Inc. – a countertop installation company based in Jacksonville, Florida – has paid $49,269 in back wages to 21 employees after a U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division (WHD) investigation determined the employer violated overtime provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).

SUN PRAIRIE, WI – An investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) into an explosion and fire in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin, found that two utility contractors ­ – Bear Communications LLC of Lawrence, Kansas, and subcontractor V C Tech Inc. of Ypsilanti, Michigan­ – failed to establish the location of underground utilities prior to beginning excavation work.

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK – After an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division (WHD), Backyard Energy Services – based in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma – has paid $253,399 in back wages and $2,163 civil money penalties to resolve violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act's (FLSA) overtime, child labor, and recordkeeping requirements.

CAMDEN, AR – After an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division (WHD), Ouachita County Medical Center – a non-profit corporation headquartered in Camden, Arkansas – has paid $91,044 in back wages to resolve violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act's (FLSA) overtime provisions.

TAMPA, FL – The U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division (WHD) office in Tampa, Florida, conducted 350 investigations of employers in the restaurant industry in fiscal year 2018, finding over $1 million in back wages and liquidated damages for more than 1,500 employees for minimum wage and overtime violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). WHD assessed more than $19,000 in civil money penalties in these investigations.

EDINBURG, TX - The U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division (WHD) will provide a training seminar for agricultural employers including growers, shippers, packers, and harvesters in Edinburg, Texas, on January 16 and 17, 2019.

WOODLAND HILLS, CA – The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has cited the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) for a repeated violation of OSHA's General Duty Clause following the heat-related death of a Southern California mail carrier at the Woodland Hills Post Office.

In the week ending January 5, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 216,000, a decrease of 17,000 from the previous week's revised level. The previous week's level was revised up by 2,000 from 231,000 to 233,000. The 4-week moving average was 221,750, an increase of 2,500 from the previous week's revised average. The previous week's average was revised up by 500 from 218,750 to 219,250.

ARLINGTON, VA – The U.S. Department of Labor's Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) reports that 27 mining fatalities occurred in 2018 - the second lowest number ever recorded.

Eighteen fatalities occurred at surface operations; nine occurred in underground mines. Approximately 250,000 miners work across 12,000 U.S. metal/nonmetal mines, and 83,000 miners work in the nation's 1,200 coal mines.

LITTLE ROCK, AR – After an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division (WHD), Jai Mata LLC – operator of the MStar Motel in Searcy, Arkansas – has paid $53,055 in back wages to 11 employees to resolve violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) overtime and minimum wage requirements.