Atlanta – The U.S. Department of Labor has sued Tim J. Manson III for violating provisions of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA).

Filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee, the lawsuit alleges that the defendant failed to exercise due diligence when he appointed Kenneth Combs as trustee for the Standard Coosa Thatcher (SCT) Yarns pension plans.

UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE WEEKLY CLAIMS REPORT

SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA In the week ending Feb. 14, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 627,000, unchanged from the previous week's revised figure of 627,000. The 4-week moving average was 619,000, an increase of 10,500 from the previous week's revised average of 608,500.

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 3.7 percent for the week ending Feb. 7, an increase of 0.1 percentage point from the prior week's unrevised rate of 3.6 percent.

Atlanta – The U.S. Department of Labor has sued Renewable Resources Inc. of Cookeville, Tennessee, for failing to fulfill its fiduciary duties to participants covered by the Renewable Resources Inc. Profit Sharing Plan and Trust.

UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE WEEKLY CLAIMS REPORT

SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA In the week ending Feb. 7, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 623,000, a decrease of 8,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 631,000. The 4-week moving average was 607,500, an increase of 24,000 from the previous week's revised average of 583,500.

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 3.6 percent for the week ending Jan. 31, unchanged from the prior week's unrevised rate of 3.6 percent.

Atlanta – The U.S. Department of Labor has sued A.L. Johnson Co. and its chief executive officer, Artis L. Johnson, to appoint a new independent fiduciary of the company’s 401(k) profit-sharing plan and recover more than $60,171 in assets.

The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia, alleges that the defendants violated the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) in 2003, 2004 and 2005.

Mokena, Illinois – The U.S. Department of Labor has sued the chief executive officer and fiduciary to the retirement plan of TMG National Holdings for improperly using plan assets withheld from employees’ pay for the benefit of the company and other violations of the federal Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA).

Herndon, Virginia – The U.S. Department of Labor has sued Answers Inc. and 401(k) trustee Cynthia Chambliss to obtain appointment of an independent fiduciary to manage the plan. Answers Inc. is a defunct company formerly located in Herndon that operated under the names Answer Transit Services LLC and Answer Transit Services Corp.

Washington - The U.S. Department of Labor’s Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) today released Field Assistance Bulletin (FAB) 2009-01 concerning new disclosure requirements mandated by the Pension Protection Act of 2006 (PPA).

Washington – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) will host its first of a series of free webcasts on February 19 from noon to 2 p.m. EST to help employers and service providers prepare for changes in the requirements of the 2009 Form 5500 reports and a preview of the new electronic filing Web site.

Atlanta – The U.S. Department of Labor has sued Hoyla Insurance Group of Kennesaw, Georgia, and Michael Hoyla to recover employee contributions commingled with company funds and distribute assets remaining in the company’s abandoned 401(k) plan.

WASHINGTON – Acting U.S. Secretary of Labor Edward C. Hugler issued the following statement on the January 2009 Employment Situation report released today:

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced a $22 million grant to assist approximately 7,400 workers affected by financial industry layoffs in the New York, Connecticut and New Jersey Tri-State area.

"Due to the crisis in the financial system, thousands of people lost their jobs through no fault of their own," said acting Secretary of Labor Edward C. Hugler. "The services provided through this grant will assist front line and back office workers in getting back to work as soon as possible."

UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE WEEKLY CLAIMS REPORT

SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA In the week ending Jan. 31, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 626,000, an increase of 35,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 591,000. The 4-week moving average was 582,250, an increase of 39,000 from the previous week's revised average of 543,250.

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 3.6 percent for the week ending Jan. 24, unchanged from the prior week's unrevised rate of 3.6 percent.

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor has announced that all former Connecticut Aircraft Nuclear Engine Laboratory (CANEL) workers have now been added to the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act's (EEOICPA) Special Exposure Cohort (SEC). The EEOICPA provides compensation and medical benefits to employees who became ill as a result of working in the nuclear weapons industry. Survivors of qualified employees may also be entitled to benefits.

Data will mark 1st official measure of unemployment rate facing Americans with disabilities

Washington – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA), today announced guidance on the duties of employee benefit plan fiduciaries in light of alleged abuses involving Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities LLC.

Syracuse, New York – The U.S. Department of Labor has sued Kellogg Auto Supply Co. Inc. of Cortland, New York, and company president and general manager Richard Coates for alleged violations of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA), the federal law that protects private sector pension and employee benefit plans.

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor today announced that it has paid more than $100 million in compensation and medical benefits to Florida 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.

Melville, New York – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) will sponsor “Getting It Right – Know Your Fiduciary Responsibilities,” a free compliance assistance seminar, on February 12 at the Melville Marriott Long Island at 1350 Old Walt Whitman Road.

Boston – The U.S. Department of Labor has obtained a settlement agreement filed with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District Court of Massachusetts, providing for payment of nearly $115,000 in unpaid employee health claims of bankrupt Wolverine Proctor & Schwartz LLC, formerly of Merrimac, Massachusetts. After filing for bankruptcy, the company abandoned its employee health benefit plans, leaving 79 employees with significant unpaid health care costs.