May 28, 2024

Department of Labor, Office of US Trade Representative find labor rights’ denial at Volkswagen plant, Mexico’s largest auto assembly facility

WASHINGTON – The U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement’s Interagency Labor Committee for Monitoring and Enforcement today requested a review by the Mexican government of the committee’s finding workers’ rights were denied at a Volkswagen assembly plant in Puebla, Mexico. 

May 28, 2024

Departamento de Trabajo recupera más de $450.000 para 62 trabajadores de dos granjas en Half Moon Bay, lugar de tiroteos mortales en 2023

SAN FRANCISCO - Una investigación del Departamento de Trabajo de EE.UU. ha recuperado más de $450,000 en sueldos atrasados y compensación por daños para 62 personas empleadas en dos granjas de hongos de Half Moon Bay - donde un trabajador descontento disparó y mató a siete trabajadores migrantes en enero de 2023 - y ha impuesto multas después de que los investigadores descubrieran que los empleadores pagaban de menos a los trabajadores y los alojaron en viviendas inseguras.

May 28, 2024

Department of Labor cites leading tool, equipment manufacturer after maintenance electrician suffers severe burns in electrical arc fire

WILLARD, OH – One of the world’s largest and best-known tool and equipment manufacturers could have prevented a 29-year-old maintenance electrician from suffering severe burns during an electrical arc blast at a company facility in Willard if required safety standards were followed, a U.S. Department of Labor investigation has found. 

May 28, 2024

Federal investigation, litigation recovers $175K in back wages for 44 miners laid off, then denied last paycheck after employer files bankruptcy

CHARLESTON, WV – An investigation and litigation by the U.S. Department of Labor has recovered $175,000 in back wages from a Charleston coal mining company that laid off 44 Matewan miners and denied them a final paycheck while filing for bankruptcy.

May 28, 2024

Department of Labor completed impact inspections in April 2024 at 15 mines with histories of repeated health, safety violations

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor announced today that its Mine Safety and Health Administration completed impact inspections at 15 mines in 11 states in April 2024, issuing 247 violations and two safeguards. An inspector issued safeguards due to site-specific standards at underground coal mines to address safety hazards related to transportation of miners and materials in haulage ways. 

May 24, 2024

Department of Labor encourages recovery employers to be prepared  to avoid wage violations before severe weather, other disasters strike

HOUSTON –After severe weather and other natural calamities strike, the U.S. Department of Labor urges employers who clear debris, repair homes or provide other disaster recovery services to avoid using pay practices that violate federal regulations by taking advantage of the many resources it provides.

May 24, 2024

  Department of Labor encourages recovery employers to be prepared to avoid wage violations before severe weather, other disasters strike

 

OKLAHOMA CITY –After severe weather and other natural calamities strike, the U.S. Department of Labor urges employers who clear debris, repair homes or provide other disaster recovery services to avoid using pay practices that violate federal regulations by taking advantage of the many resources it provides.

May 23, 2024

Statement by Acting Secretary Su on first contract between United Steelworkers, Blue Bird Corp.

WASHINGTON – Acting Secretary of Labor Julie Su today released the following statement on news of a final contract agreement between the United Steelworkers and Blue Bird Corp, one of the nation’s leading manufacturers of low- and zero-emission school buses.

May 23, 2024

Department of Labor reaches settlement with Linden contractor after finding the company failed to prevent fatal 5-story fall at a Bayonne work site

LINDEN, NJ  – The U.S. Department of Labor has reached a settlement agreement with a New Jersey contractor after a worker suffered a fatal fall at a Bayonne worksite in October 2023. 

May 23, 2024

Department of Labor awards nearly $3.8M in funding to Florida to continue support for temporary jobs, workforce training after Hurricane Ian

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced the incremental award of $3,750,000 in funding to support continued disaster-relief employment and workforce training for eligible residents in Florida as the state continues to recover following Hurricane Ian. 

May 23, 2024

Unemployment Insurance Weekly Claims Report

In the week ending May 18, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 215,000, a decrease of 8,000 from the previous week's revised level. The previous week's level was revised up by 1,000 from 222,000 to 223,000. The 4-week moving average was 219,750, an increase of 1,750 from the previous week's revised average. The previous week's average was revised up by 250 from 217,750 to 218,000.

May 22, 2024

Federal court finds USPS again wrongfully fired probationary mail carrier shortly after reporting workplace injury, this time in Oregon

PORTLAND, OR – After a two-day bench trial, the U.S. Department of Labor obtained a federal court judgment that orders the U.S. Postal Service to pay $141,307 in lost wages and damages for emotional distress suffered to a probationary mail carrier who the agency fired after they reported an on-the-job injury to their supervisor and filed an accident report. 

May 22, 2024

Court denies Vermont employers’ motion to dismiss Department of Labor lawsuit alleging social media retaliation against employees

BOSTON – A federal court in Vermont has concluded that the First Amendment does not protect a Milton, Vermont, excavation contractor and its officials from using social media to retaliate against employees. The decision by the U.S. District Court for the District of Vermont is the latest action in ongoing litigation between the Department of Labor and Bevins & Son Inc.

May 22, 2024

El Departamento del Trabajo y el estado de Oregon llegan a un acuerdo para mejorar el acceso lingüístico al programa de seguro de desempleo

WASHINGTON — El Departamento del Trabajo de los EE. UU. anunció hoy un acuerdo voluntario con el Departamento de Empleo de Oregon para reafirmar el compromiso de brindar un acceso significativo al programa de seguro de desempleo para las personas con dominio limitado del inglés.

May 22, 2024

Department of Labor, State of Oregon reach agreement to improve language access to unemployment insurance program

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor today announced a voluntary resolution agreement with the Employment Department of Oregon to reaffirm its commitment to provide meaningful access in its unemployment insurance program for people with limited English proficiency.

May 22, 2024

US Department of Labor files complaint seeking $300K in back wages, damages for Belleville restaurant workers denied minimum wage, overtime

Employers:    Gordo Corp., operating as El Gordito, Belleville, Illinois

                        Patricia and Samuel Gonzalez Lara, owners

Action:           Complaint filing

May 21, 2024

Court orders Long Island employer who demanded employees kick back recovered wages to pay $15K in punitive damages

Date of action:                      May 20, 2024

 Type of action:                     Consent judgment and order 

 Names of defendants:           P & B Heating & Air Conditioning Corp., West Babylon, New York; 

May 21, 2024

Caterpillar to pay $800K to resolve racial hiring discrimination at Decatur, Illinois, facility alleged in federal compliance review

DECATUR, IL – The U.S. Department of Labor has entered into a conciliation agreement with Caterpillar Inc. to resolve alleged systemic hiring discrimination against 60 Black applicants at one of the heavy equipment manufacturer’s production facilities in Decatur, Illinois.

May 21, 2024

US Department of Labor recovers $38K in back wages for 17 workers, court finds Dearborn restaurant owner in contempt of 2018 order

Employers:    MKK Holding Inc., operating as the Blue Fish Asian Cuisine, Dearborn, Michigan

                        Sung Hee Kim

                        Min Kyu Kim

May 21, 2024

Waukegan roofing contractor finally pays $365K in penalties for endangering employees when Department of Labor moves to seize employer’s property

CHICAGO – Joshua Herion, a Waukegan roofing contractor who has routinely endangered employees by ignoring federal workplace standards and penalties assesses for its violations since 2014, has paid $365,576 in fines and interest, after the U.S. Department of Labor moved to seize the employer’s assets as part of the department’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration debt collection program.