WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration today awarded $10,687,000 through the Susan Harwood Training Grant Program to 78 nonprofit organizations, including community- and faith-based groups, employer associations, labor unions, joint labor-management associations, and colleges and universities.

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration today awarded $10,687,000 through the Susan Harwood Training Grant Program to 78 nonprofit organizations, including community- and faith-based groups, employer associations, labor unions, joint labor-management associations, and colleges and universities.

WASHINGTON — An open meeting of the Advisory Council on Employee Welfare and Pension Benefit Plans, also known as the ERISA Advisory Council, will take place Monday, Sept. 29, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. EDT. The council will discuss reports and recommendations on the issues of pharmacy benefit manager compensation and fee disclosure, outsourcing employee benefit plan services and facilitating lifetime plan participation.

WASHINGTON — U.S. Secretary of Labor Thomas E. Perez issued the following statement about the August 2014 Employment Situation report released today:

"With today's report, businesses have added more than 10 million jobs over the last four and a half years. That makes 54 consecutive months of private-sector job growth, the longest streak on record. The unemployment rate ticked down to 6.1 percent in August, a significant decrease from 7.2 percent in August 2013.

HARTFORD, Conn. — Ultimate Services Professional Grounds Management Inc., a Wolcott landscaping company that the U.S. Department of Labor claims violated federal law by failing to hire U.S. workers and underpaying temporary foreign workers, will pay $280,000 in back wages to 80 workers and nine job applicants and $20,000 in civil money penalties. The company signed consent findings approved by the Labor Department's Office of Administrative Law Judges and agreed to actively engage in enhanced recruitment of U.S. workers.

GROVE, Okla. — For exposing workers to cancer-causing health hazards by inhaling, absorbing and ingesting hexavalent chromium, Pride Plating Inc. is being cited by the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration. The company received 38 violations with proposed penalties totaling $341,550.

RACINE, Wis. — Procedures for handling liquid chlorine, a highly hazardous chemical, at Beck Aluminum Alloys Ltd., were lacking according to an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration. The company, which recycles aluminum and produces alloys used in various applications, will pay a penalty of $32,890 for 10 serious safety violations.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Jasper Contractors was cited by the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration for six safety violations for exposing workers to falls and other hazards while they performed roofing work at two residential work sites in Jacksonville. The inspections were initiated in March 2014 after the agency received complaints that employees were working from roofs without fall protection. Proposed penalties total $162,000.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Justin Construction Co. LLC has been cited by the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration with six safety violations after OSHA inspectors observed employees at three area work sites performing residential construction without using a fall protection system. The inspections began in February 2014 as part of the agency's Regional Emphasis Program on Falls in Construction. Proposed penalties total $188,650.

Company will pay $275,000 in back wages and interest to 195 female and black applicants

NEW ORLEANS — The U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs announced today that Central Parking System of Louisiana Inc. has agreed to pay $275,000 in back wages and interest to settle allegations of placement and hiring discrimination affecting 104 women and 91 African Americans who were rejected as valets at the company's New Orleans location.

SOUTH BELOIT, Ill. — Following the death of a worker at Behr Iron & Steel Inc.'s recycling facility in South Beloit, the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration has cited the company for seven willful and one serious safety violations. The company operates under the name Behr Iron & Metal.

Nearly 1,300 women to share $475K in back wages and interest

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of International Labor Affairs today announced a $10 million competitive solicitation for multiple cooperative agreements for impact evaluations of programs that take place outside the United States to help increase the collective knowledge base about successful approaches to combatting child labor and forced labor.

Date of Action: Sept. 2, 2014

Type of Action: Consent Order and Judgment

Names of Defendant: Dr. Anthony Alexander, Home Comp. Care Inc. Savings & Retirement Plan

OMAHA, Neb. — An alliance is being formed between the Heartland Workers Center of Omaha and the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration to provide HWC staff, immigrant workers and others with education, guidance and access to training resources on protecting the health and safety of workers.

CONYERS, Ga. — Truss Components of Atlanta Inc. was cited by the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration with one failure-to-abate, five repeat and two serious safety and health violations, following an inspection in February at the company's facility on Old Covington Highway. OSHA initiated the inspection as a follow up to a previous inspection conducted in November 2013. Proposed penalties total $92,851.

CHICAGO — B & T Underground Inc., based in North Riverside, exposed workers to cave-in hazards and has been cited for one willful, two serious and four repeat safety violations by the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration. OSHA opened the inspection March 10, 2014, after observing employees working in an unprotected trench at a residential home under construction in Chicago. Proposed penalties total $76,340.

Date of Action: September 2, 2014

Type of Action: Consent Order and Judgment, U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, Green Bay Division

Names of Defendant: Jane E. Lehman, Teletrans Services Inc., and Teletrans Services Inc. Savings and Retirement Plan

Date of Action: Aug. 29, 2014

Type of Action: Complaint

Names of Defendant: Perez v. PBI Bank Inc., Michael A. Evans, and AIT Laboratories Employee Stock Ownership Plan

Allegations: The suit alleges that the Plan’s trustee, PBI Bank Inc. and the plan sponsor’s Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Michael A. Evans, authorized the purchase of company stock for $90 million, an amount far higher than the stock’s fair market value. 

Date of Action: Aug. 29, 2014

Type of Action: Complaint

Name(s) of Defendant(s): World Health Alternatives Inc. and World Health Alternatives Health and Welfare Benefits Plan

Allegations: Based on an investigation conducted by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Employee Benefits Security Administration, the Secretary of Labor filed a complaint alleging the following: