WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor will begin taking actions to develop a comprehensive agency reform plan, as directed by guidance from the Office of Management and Budget. The goal is to create a more efficient and accountable department that works for job seekers, workers, employers and retirees across the U.S.

BOSTON – Robert Higgins and Kelvin Mattocks died on Oct. 21, 2016 in Boston, when the approximately 12-foot deep trench in which they were working collapsed, breaking an adjacent fire hydrant supply line and filling the trench with water in a matter of seconds.

PHILADELPHIA – The U.S. Department of Labor and a Philadelphia commercial printer have entered into a consent judgment that requires the company to pay $273,892 in back wages and liquidated damages to a group of temporary employees to resolve past violations of the federal Fair Labor Standards Act.

ATLANTA – Fatalities among workers in the landscaping industry are a growing concern in the Southeast. From 2012 to 2016, 64 people employed in the industry in Alabama, Florida, Georgia and Mississippi died as a result of workplace injuries. In Florida, industry fatalities have nearly tripled since 2012.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration today announced a delay in enforcement of the crystalline silica standard that applies to the construction industry to conduct additional outreach and provide educational materials and guidance for employers.

In the week ending April 1, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 234,000, a decrease of 25,000 from the previous week's revised level. The previous week's level was revised up by 1,000 from 258,000 to 259,000. The 4-week moving average was 250,000, a decrease of 4,500 from the previous week's revised average. The previous week's average was revised up by 250 from 254,250 to 254,500.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. General Services Administration today canceled the solicitation for the Frances Perkins Building exchange project (to include the Request for Expressions of Interest (REOI) for sites and the Request for Proposals (RFP) Phase I). After reviewing the preliminary phases of the project, GSA determined that the exchange mechanism was not the optimal means to maximize the government’s return on the Perkins building, which is located at 200 Constitution Avenue NW in Washington.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor has announced a 60-day extension of the applicability dates of the fiduciary rule and related exemptions, including the Best Interest Contract Exemption. The announcement follows a Feb. 3, 2017, presidential memorandum which directed the department to examine the fiduciary rule to ensure that it does not adversely affect the ability of Americans to gain access to retirement information and financial advice.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor announced plans today to protect U.S. workers from H-1B program discrimination by providing greater transparency and oversight.

CUYAHOGA FALLS, Ohio – A federal judge has ordered Cathedral Buffet and its owner to pay $388,507 in back wages and damages to 235 “volunteers” who worked at the Cuyahoga Falls restaurant. An investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division found violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act’s minimum wage, overtime, recordkeeping and other provisions.

WASHINGTON – Coordination between workforce and education programs at the state level is an integral part of building a better workforce system. To support this continued cooperation, the U.S. Department of Labor announced today the availability of approximately $5.7 million in grants in the sixth round of its Workforce Data Quality Initiative.

SAN FRANCISCO – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration has ordered Wells Fargo Bank N.A. to compensate and immediately reinstate a former bank manager who lost his job after reporting suspected fraudulent behavior to superiors and a bank ethics hotline.

Who: U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division
U.S. Department of Labor’s Employee Benefits Security Administration
National Labor Relations Board
U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs
U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration

WASHINGTON – Today, President Donald J. Trump signed legislation to nullify a U.S. Department of Labor rule that narrowly limited the circumstances under which drug testing may be carried out by states in administering their unemployment insurance systems.

In the week ending March 25, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 258,000, a decrease of 3,000 from the previous week's unrevised level of 261,000. The 4-week moving average was 254,250, an increase of 7,750 from the previous week's unrevised average of 246,500.

ATLANTA – The Federal Highway Administration, the state of Georgia, local government organizations and employers are partnering with the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration to sponsor one-hour events to train road workers on the dangers of distracted drivers, flying debris and other objects during National Highway Work Zone Awareness Week, April 3-7.

MIDDLETOWN, Iowa – A munitions manufacturer for the U.S. Army in Iowa has agreed to pay two former security officers a total of $50,000 in back pay and other damages after the U.S.

WASHINGTON - The U.S. Department of Labor has proposed a delay in the effective date of the final rule on Examinations of Working Places in Metal and Nonmetal Mines from May 23, 2017, to July 24, 2017.

The Mine Safety and Health Administration is proposing to delay the effective date to assure that mine operators and miners affected by the final rule have the training and compliance assistance they need.

In the week ending March 18, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 261,000, an increase of 15,000 from the previous week's revised level. The previous week's level was revised up by 5,000 from 241,000 to 246,000. The 4-week moving average was 246,500, an increase of 3,500 from the previous week's revised average. The previous week's average was revised up by 5,750 from 237,250 to 243,000.

Participants: U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration
Nebraska Safety Council
Great Plains Safety and Health Organization
National Safety Council Nebraska