WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor has certified for release $32,260,831 in unemployment insurance (UI) modernization incentive funds to the state of Idaho. Idaho qualified for the funds available under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (Recovery Act) by providing for a variety of provisions that assist recent entrants to the workforce, part time workers and people who are upgrading their skills.

WESTBURY, N.Y. – The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has cited Wal-Mart Stores Inc. for inadequate crowd management following the Nov. 28, 2008, death of an employee at its Valley Stream, N.Y., store. The worker died of asphyxiation after he was knocked to the ground and trampled by a crowd of about 2,000 shoppers who surged into the store for its annual "Blitz Friday" pre-holiday sales event.

WASHINGTON – U.S. Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis today issued the following statement on President Obama's nomination of Judge Sonia Sotomayor to the Supreme Court of the United States:

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor today announced that it has paid more than $1 billion in compensation and medical benefits to 9,134 Tennessee residents under the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act (EEOICPA). The act was created to assist those individuals who became ill as a result of working in the atomic weapons industry. Survivors of such individuals may also be eligible for benefits.

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor today announced that it has paid more than $500 million in compensation and medical benefits to 4,798 current and former employees of the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant and their survivors under the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act (EEOICPA). The EEOICPA was created to assist individuals who became ill as a result of working in the atomic weapons industry. Survivors of such individuals may also be eligible for benefits.

Washington – The Advisory Council on Employee Welfare and Pension Benefit Plans (also known as the ERISA Advisory Council) will meet June 11 in Washington at the U.S. Department of Labor, 200 Constitution Avenue N.W., Room S-2508.

Minneapolis – The U.S. Department of Labor has obtained a consent order and judgment appointing Midwest Fiduciary Services as an independent fiduciary to distribute the assets of the abandoned Nat Joseph Catering Inc. 401(k) plan to eligible participants and beneficiaries.

New minimum rates become effective this month

WASHINGTON — The federal minimum wage will increase for employees in American Samoa and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI), effective May 25 and May 26 respectively. With the increase, the new minimum wage rates in American Samoa, which vary by industry, will range from $4.18 for garment manufacturing to $5.59 for certain types of shipping and transportation. Employees who work in the CNMI can expect to receive $4.55 per hour.

Washington — The U. S. Department of Labor’s Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) today announced a joint public hearing on June 18, 2009, to hear testimony on the investment of 401(k) and other retirement plans in target date type plans. The hearing will begin at 9:00 a.m. in the department’s auditorium, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW in Washington, DC.

UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE WEEKLY CLAIMS REPORT

SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA In the week ending May 16, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 631,000, a decrease of 12,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 643,000. The 4-week moving average was 628,500, a decrease of 3,500 from the previous week's revised average of 632,000.

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor today announced that it has received its ninth successive Certificate of Excellence in Accountability Reporting (CEAR) Award from the Association of Government Accountants (AGA) for the department's outstanding fiscal year (FY) 2008 Performance and Accountability Report. Associate Deputy Chief Financial Officer for Fiscal Integrity Yoko Albayrak accepted the award on behalf of the department at a National Press Club ceremony last night in Washington.

Washington — The U.S. Department of Labor today announced the appeal process individuals can use if they are denied a premium subsidy for their group health plan continuation coverage. The Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985 (COBRA) requires many group health plans to temporarily continue health coverage for employees and their families following termination of employment at the employee’s own expense.

Washington – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) today announced publication of a notice further extending the applicability and effective dates of the final rule on investment advice under the Pension Protection Act to November 18, 2009. The notice is expected to be published in the May 22 edition of the Federal Register.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), in an effort to crack down on fraudulent trainers, is strengthening the integrity of its 36-year-old Outreach Training Program by improving how trainers become authorized to teach and ensuring these trainers are in compliance with OSHA program guidelines.

Fargo, North Dakota – A free health law compliance assistance seminar for employers, plan fiduciaries and plan services providers, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) and the North Dakota Department of Insurance, will take place June 3 and 4 at the Fargo Doublewood Inn & Conference Center at 3333-13th Ave. S.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced a $1,320,100 grant to assist approximately 307 workers across the state of Minnesota affected by layoffs from 27 companies in the retail, service and manufacturing sectors of the declining automotive industry.

Highwall failure at Maryland surface mine in 2007 killed 2 miners

Frankfort, Illinois – A federal district court in Chicago has granted a consent judgment to the U.S. Department of Labor barring John Patrizi, owner of J&L Electronic Service Inc. at 633 Johnson Ave. in Frankfort, from serving as a fiduciary for any retirement plan covered by the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA), and appointing an independent fiduciary to oversee the company’s 401(k) plan.

Kansas City, Missouri — The U.S. Department of Labor has filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Iowa in Davenport seeking the appointment of an independent fiduciary to oversee the abandoned 401(k) plan of defunct MagnaTech Inc., formerly of Brooklyn, Iowa.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today certified for release $62,817,683 in unemployment insurance (UI) modernization incentive funds to the commonwealth of Virginia. Virginia qualified for the funds available under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (Recovery Act) by allowing workers to use their more recent earnings to be eligible for benefits. Virginia's approved application will be posted at the department's Employment and Training Administration Web site at http://www.doleta.gov/recovery/.