State: Maryland

Type of Award: National Dislocated Worker Grant supplemental

Supplemental Amount Approved: $414,912

Total Funds Awarded: $5,552,067

Funding Awarded to: Maryland Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation

Number of Workers Served: Approximately 545

Employer name: Mountaire Farms Inc.

Inspection site: 55 Hosier Street, Selbyville, Delaware

Corporate address: P.O. Box 1320, Millsboro, Delaware

MOSINEE, Wis. – A federal investigation, prompted by the death of a 51-year-old chemical technician at a coatings company’s facility in Mosinee, has resulted in multiple safety violations.

NEW YORK – A Queens-based operator of residential nursing homes and adult care facilities will pay a total of $2,006,796 in back wages and liquidated damages to 844 underpaid employees at five locations in eastern New York following a federal investigation of alleged violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act.

Type of Action: Fair Labor Standards Act lawsuit filing

Defendant(s): Rinky Sharma
Bobby Singh
SkyExpress Travel Plaza Inc., doing business as Plaza 30
Sky Petroleum Inc., doing business as Govertown Travel Plaza and Michigan City Grocery
Aman Group LLC, dba Marathon Stop and Shop

Date of Action: Dec. 8, 2016

Type of Action: Employee Retirement Income Security Act lawsuit

Names of Defendants: Nicholas C. Caro
N.C. Caro M.D., S.C.
N.C. Caro M.D., S.C. Defined Benefit Plan

SALT LAKE CITY – A federal judge has ordered Brian Jessop and Paragon Contractors Corp., to make an initial payment of $200,000 to compensate hundreds of children who were employed illegally and not paid for their labor on a pecan ranch between 2008-2013. Jessop and Paragon coordinated with the Fundamentalist Church of Latter Day Saints to use children and others in the church for field work.

MELROSE PARK, Ill. – Just six weeks after a machine amputated a maintenance worker’s left hand as he cleared jammed material stuck in a machine at its Melrose Park bread products facility, the company reported a second worker’s right forearm suffered multiple fractures as he cleaned another machine. Federal safety inspectors investigating the injuries found, in both instances, the company allowed employees to service machinery without isolating operating parts, a process known as lockout/tagout.

MINNEAPOLIS – One of the nation’s leading financial planning companies discriminated in pay against black employees, an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs has found.

RIPON, Wis. – For the second time in less than two months, federal safety and health inspectors found an employee at one of world’s leading commercial laundry equipment manufacturers suffered an amputation injury because a machine lacked adequate safety guarding.

Employer’s name: CPE Feeds Inc.
2102 Lubbock Road
Brownfield, Texas

Citations issued: Nov. 28, 2016

WASHINGTON – U.S. Secretary of Labor Thomas E. Perez today announced the appointments of five new members to the 2017 Advisory Council on Employee Welfare and Pension Benefit Plans, known as the ERISA Advisory Council. He also announced the incoming chair and vice chair of the council.

SALT LAKE CITY – A federal judge has ordered Brian Jessop and Paragon Contractors Corp., to make an initial payment of $200,000 to compensate hundreds of children who were employed illegally and not paid for their labor on a pecan ranch between 2008-2013. Jessop and Paragon coordinated with the Fundamentalist Church of Latter Day Saints to use children and others in the church for field work.

In the week ending December 3, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 258,000, a decrease of 10,000 from the previous week's unrevised level of 268,000. The 4-week moving average was 252,500, an increase of 1,000 from the previous week's unrevised average of 251,500.

NEW YORK – A Garden City restaurant and catering hall will pay a total of $285,800 in back wages and liquidated damages to 24 underpaid employees to resolve violations of the minimum wage, overtime and recordkeeping requirements of the Fair Labor Standards Act. The company will also pay $24,200 in civil money penalties to the U.S. Department of Labor and take corrective action to prevent future violations as part of a consent judgment filed with the U.S.

BOSTON – For several years, inspections by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration identified a disturbing pattern of defective forklifts being used to move, handle, load and unload freight in at least 11 Central Transport LLC shipping terminals in nine states.

EVANSTON, Ill. ‒ A Burbank contractor failed to provide employees remodeling a home in Evanston with adequate protection from falls and the personal protective equipment and training needed to work safely with silica and portland cement.

Employer name: NN Metal Stampings Inc.
510 Maple St.
Pioneer, Ohio

Citations issued: Dec. 2, 2016

Employer name: Los Arcos Inc., doing business as Los Arcos Mexican Restaurant

Investigation sites: 214 St. James Ave.
Goose Creek, South Carolina 29445

1136 Hungry Neck Blvd.
Mount Pleasant, South Carolina 29464

Employer Name: Subfloor Systems Inc.
10509 Tube St.
Hurst, Texas

Citations Issued: Nov. 8, 2016