Omaha, Neb.-based company ordered to pay more than $615,000 to 3 employees terminated, suspended for reporting safety issues and injuries

WASHINGTON – Preliminary results from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' National Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries released today show little change in the number of workplace fatalities in 2010 compared with 2009. Last year, 4,547 workers died from work-related injuries, down from a final count of 4,551 fatal work injuries in 2009. In response, Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis issued the following statement:

"No worker should have to sacrifice his or her life to earn a living.

Date of Action: Aug. 24, 2011

Type of Action:  Consent order and judgment

Names of Defendants: Brenda Duncan and Proto Craft, Inc. as fiduciaries to the Proto Craft, Inc. Profit Sharing and 401(k) Plan.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced enhancements to its online enforcement database designed to improve public access to and understanding of the department's enforcement actions. The updated website includes a number of new features, including map displays of inspection and violation data from the department's Occupational Safety and Health Administration and its Mine Safety and Health Administration, as well as the ability to view individual inspection records and the enforcement history of a particular company or mine.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced a $1,825,595 National Emergency Grant to provide re-employment services to about 250 workers laid off by XL Four Star Beef Inc., following the June closure of the company's beef processing and packing plant in Nampa, Idaho.

LOS ANGELES — A Los Angeles-based Japanese restaurant group has agreed to pay back wages of $144,721 to 66 employees following an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division that disclosed systemic violations of the federal Fair Labor Standards Act's overtime, minimum wage and record-keeping provisions. The violations were found at seven locations of Bishamon Group Restaurants in Monterey Park, Covina, Arcadia, Costa Mesa and downtown Los Angeles.

Date of Action:  Aug. 18, 2011

Type of Action:  Judgment

Names of Defendants: Subspecialty Centers of America LLC in Merriville, Ind. and the company’s owner, Mark S. Weinberger.

Allegations: Subspecialty Centers of America LLC in Merriville and Weinberger, allegedly failing to administer and terminate the Subspecialty Centers of America LLC 401(k) Plan and Trust in violation of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act.

SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA In the week ending August 13, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 408,000, an increase of 9,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 399,000. The 4-week moving average was 402,500, a decrease of 3,500 from the previous week's revised average of 406,000.

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 2.9 percent for the week ending August 6, unchanged from the prior week's unrevised rate of 2.9 percent.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced a $918,010 National Emergency Grant to provide an array of services to about 325 workers being affected by layoffs at Polaris Industries in Osceola, Wis., and Robin Manufacturing U.S.A. Inc. in Hudson, Wis., to assist them in gaining new employment.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Two La Nopalera restaurants in Jacksonville and their owners have been ordered to pay 30 employees $934,425 in back wages and liquidated damages under the terms of consent judgments. The agreements resolve a U.S. Department of Labor lawsuit based on an investigation by its Wage and Hour Division that alleged violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act's minimum wage, overtime pay and record-keeping provisions.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The U.S. Department of Labor has sued defunct SEI Environmental Inc. and its president, Wiley McAllen Finley, to force the repayment of employee contributions totaling $10,717 that the suit alleges were not forwarded to the environmental consulting company’s 401(k) plan in violation of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act.

PASADENA, Texas – A consent judgment and order have been entered in federal district court requiring $28,504 to be restored to the Modern Plumbing Co. Inc. 401(k) Plan, resolving a lawsuit filed by the U.S. Department of Labor. The suit alleged that the following defendants violated the Employee Retirement Income Security Act: Modern Plumbing Co. Inc.; Modern Plumbing Supply Inc.; Modern Air Conditioning Inc., doing business as A/C Plus of Pasadena; and Albert Lloyd Hollub, one of the companies' majority owners.

SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA In the week ending August 6, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 395,000, a decrease of 7,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 402,000. The 4-week moving average was 405,000, a decrease of 3,250 from the previous week's revised average of 408,250.

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 2.9 percent for the week ending July 30, a 0.1 percentage point decrease from the prior week's unrevised rate of 3.0 percent.

SANDY, Utah – As part of continuing educational efforts by the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration about the dangers of extreme heat, Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis today announced the release of a free application for mobile devices that will enable workers and supervisors to monitor the heat index at their work sites in order to prevent heat-related illnesses.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced a $16,233,360 National Emergency Grant that will create 1,144 temporary jobs to assist in cleanup and recovery efforts in the wake of spring storms and flooding that occurred in Ohio. Communities across 15 counties located in the Appalachian region were affected by the storms, which occurred between April 4 and May 15.

Public invited to comment during early stage of development

WASHINGTON — Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis today issued the following statement regarding the decision to request an arbitral panel in a dispute over labor rights enforcement by Guatemala:

"I applaud U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk's decision today to request the establishment of an arbitral panel under the Dominican Republic-Central America-United States Free Trade Agreement in a dispute regarding the government of Guatemala's failure to effectively enforce its labor laws.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced a $670,000 National Emergency Grant to provide re-employment services to approximately 145 former workers of FTCA Inc. who were affected by layoffs at the company's plant in Somerset, Pa. FTCA closed the travel trailer and recreational camper manufacturing facility in January.

WASHINGTON – Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis issued the following statement on the July 2011 Employment Situation report released today:

"Our nation's labor market continued to add jobs in the month of July. The private sector added 154,000 jobs, and total non-farm payrolls rose by 117,000, with a loss of 37,000 government jobs. The unemployment rate ticked down to 9.1 percent.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced 23 grants totaling $5,436,148 to provide homeless veterans with job training aimed at helping them succeed in civilian careers. The grants are being awarded by the department's Veterans' Employment and Training Service through the Homeless Veterans Reintegration Program.