May 13, 2016

Department sues Brogue, Pennsylvania, construction contractor to recover unpaid contributions to employees’ 401(k) profit-sharing plan

Date of Action: April 29, 2016

Type of Action: Complaint

Name(s) of Defendants: Tarry Bratton, B.C. Inc., B.C. Inc. 401(k) Profit Sharing Plan

May 12, 2016

Lack of emergency training at Houston coffee roaster cited by OSHA in deadly gas release that asphyxiated shift supervisor

Employer name: Atlantic Coffee Industrial Solutions LLC

Inspection site: 3900 Harrisburg Blvd., Houston

Citations issued: May 11, 2016

May 12, 2016

OSHA cites McAllen telecommunications company for safety failures that exposed workers to various dangers

Employer name: Cinch Connectors Inc.

Inspection Site: 6900 South Bentsen Rd., McAllen, TX 

Citations issued: May 6, 2016

May 12, 2016

MSHA increases attention on safety standards linked to mining deaths, encourages mine operators to monitor compliance

ARLINGTON, Va. – In a meeting with mining industry stakeholders today, the U.S.

May 12, 2016

US Department of Labor’s ongoing initiative to get hospitality workers the ‘bucks’ they’ve legally earned would make even ‘Bucky Badger’ proud

MADISON, Wis. – In a town where images of the state university’s mascot “Bucky Badger” are common in restaurants and hotels alike, U.S. Department of Labor investigators are actively engaged in an education and enforcement effort to make sure employers do not deny hospitality workers the “bucks” they have earned legally.

May 12, 2016

Bay Area medical center to pay nearly $38K to employee it fired illegally after the worker sought medical attention

Employers: Muir Orthopedics Specialists

Sites: 2625 Shadeland Drive, Walnut Creek, California

May 12, 2016

US Labor Department, European Commission roundtable addresses ways to help the long-term unemployed get back to work

WASHINGTON – The European Commission and the U.S. Department of Labor compared practices and policies used to fight against long-term unemployment at a roundtable discussion in Washington on May 11, 2016.

May 12, 2016

OSHA finds refrigeration warehouse lacked proper procedures for handling ammonia

Employer name: Ozburn-Hessey Logistics LLC
Fond Du Lac, Wisconsin

Citations issued: May 5, 2016

Investigation findings: The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration

May 12, 2016

Marion County contractor ignores fall, electrocution hazards, putting workers in serious, potentially fatal danger at Fairmount work site

Employer name: M&M Construction LLC, doing business as Michael Jones Contracting
1912 Constitution Drive, Fairmont, West Virginia

Inspection site: Locust Avenue, Fairmont, West Virginia

Citations issued:  The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration issued two willful and eight serious citations on April 29, 2016.

May 12, 2016

National Disability Employment Awareness Month 2016 theme announced

WASHINGTON – To reflect the important role disability plays in workforce diversity, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy today announced that the theme of 2016’s official National Disability Employment Awareness Month is “#InclusionWorks.”

May 12, 2016

Workplace amputation at a Georgia furniture manufacturer prompts OSHA investigation that uncovers amputation, other safety hazards

Employer name: Tritter Feefer Home Collection LLC

Investigation site: 200 East Lukken Industrial Drive, LaGrange, Georgia 30240

Citations issued: The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration issued citations to the employer on May 10 for one willful and four serious safety violations.

May 12, 2016

Vegetable supplier to major grocery chains assessed over $1.4M in civil money penalties after two-year federal investigation

Employer’s names: Red Diamond Enterprises Inc., doing business as Red Diamond Farms
German “Javier” Torres, president and owner

Investigation sites: Wimauma, Sarasota, Quincy and West Palm Beach, Florida

May 12, 2016

Excavation company ignores serious dangers again, leaves workers unprotected in underground trench to remove Naperville sewer line

Employer name: Kellenberger Plumbing & Underground, Elgin, Illinois

Inspection site: 2708 Showplace Drive, Naperville, Illinois

Citations issued: May 2, 2016

May 12, 2016

Unemployment Insurance Weekly Claims Report

In the week ending May 7, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 294,000, an increase of 20,000 from the previous week's unrevised level of 274,000. This is the highest level for initial claims since February 28, 2015 when it was 310,000. The 4-week moving average was 268,250, an increase of 10,250 from the previous week's unrevised average of 258,000.

May 11, 2016

Federal food service contractor settles charges of gender-based hiring discrimination for entry-level Michigan, Kentucky, Wisconsin warehouse jobs

WYOMING, Mich. – For a second time, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs has determined that a Michigan-based, federal food service contractor systematically discriminated against 926 qualified women seeking entry-level warehouse laborer jobs.

In agreements with the department, Gordon Food Service, Inc. of Wyoming will pay a total of $1.85 million to female applicants, hire 37 female applicants and stop using a strength test that OFCCP found to be discriminatory.

May 11, 2016

Global settlement reached between MSHA, Massachusetts mine operator

ARLINGTON, Va. – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Mine Safety and Health Administration announced today a global settlement with Worcester Sand and Gravel Company, Inc., of Shrewsbury, Massachusetts, to resolve citations and orders in three separate dockets. An administrative law judge with the Federal Mine Safety and Health Review Commission approved the settlements amounting to $181,200, the largest penalty amounts recovered from a mine operator in New England in the past decade.

May 11, 2016

OSHA’s final rule to ‘nudge’ employers to prevent workplace injuries, illnesses

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration today issued a final rule to modernize injury data collection to better inform workers, employers, the public and OSHA about workplace hazards. With this new rule, OSHA is applying the insights of behavioral economics to improve workplace safety and prevent injuries and illnesses. 

May 10, 2016

Utility, paving contractor again willfully exposes workers to dangers of unprotected work in underground trenches at Harris County project site Angel Brothers Enterprises cited for violations five times since 2009

Employer name:         Angel Brothers Enterprises Ltd.

Inspection site:           2900 Sens Road, La Porte, Texas

Citations issued:        May 09, 2016

May 10, 2016

Utility, paving contractor again willfully exposes workers to dangers of unprotected work in underground trenches at Harris County project site

Employer name:        Angel Brothers Enterprises Ltd.

Inspection site:           2900 Sens Road, La Porte, Texas

Citations issued:        May 09, 2016