October 28, 2015

OSHA News Brief: Landscape employee's death after being struck by rock 'easily preventable' [10/28/2015]

Employer name: Perry's Maintenance Inc., headquartered in Lockport, New York

Inspection site: 4306 Shimerville Rd., Clarence, N.Y. 14031

October 28, 2015

MSHA News Release: Mine Rescue Day honors first responders in mine emergencies [10/28/2015]

ARLINGTON, Va. — Mine rescuers often travel miles in the dark, navigating underground mine workings filled with debris, amid poisonous and explosive gases trying to find missing miners or recover those who have died. The dangerous work they do after mine fires, explosions or cave-ins is challenging, grueling, and remarkably — it is voluntary.

October 28, 2015

OASP News Release: Labor Department joins Humanity United's Partnership for Freedom [10/28/2015]

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor has joined the Partnership for Freedom, a public-private partnership led by Humanity United, a foundation dedicated to building peace and advancing human freedom, in collaboration with the U.S. departments of Justice, Health and Human Services, Housing and Urban Development, and State.

October 27, 2015

MSHA News Brief: US Mine Safety and Health Administration announces results of special impact inspections at 17 mines in September

Who: U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration

What: The Mine Safety and Health Administration announced today that federal inspectors issued 133 citations and 12 orders during special impact inspections conducted at 10 coal mines and seven metal and nonmetal mines in September.

Where: MSHA conducted special impact inspections at mines in Alabama, Illinois, Kentucky, Minnesota, Nevada, New Hampshire, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia.

October 27, 2015

WHD News Release: J&J Snack Foods pays more than $2.1M in back wages, damages to 677 temporary workers in New Jersey, Pennsylvania [10/27/2015]

PENNSAUKEN, N.J. — Two federal investigations have found that temporary production line workers at J&J Snack Foods Corp., a leading North American manufacturer and distributor of popular food and beverages, were significantly cheated out of their wages by the company and two staffing firms hired to provide the workers.

October 27, 2015

OSHA News Brief: Iowa postal facility exposes mail handler to excessive heat [10/27/2015]

Employer name: U.S. Postal Service, Ottumwa, Iowa

Citations issued: Oct. 23, 2015

Investigation findings: The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration's Des Moines Area Office cited the postal facility for three safety and health violations, one repeated, one serious and one other-than-serious.

October 27, 2015

MSHA News Brief: US Mine Safety and Health Administration announces results of special impact inspections at 17 mines in September [10/27/2015]

Who: U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration

What: The Mine Safety and Health Administration announced today that federal inspectors issued 133 citations and 12 orders during special impact inspections conducted at 10 coal mines and seven metal and nonmetal mines in September.

Where: MSHA conducted special impact inspections at mines in Alabama, Illinois, Kentucky, Minnesota, Nevada, New Hampshire, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia.

October 27, 2015

ETA News Release: Department awards $2.75M to help Kentucky workers affected by coal mining industry layoffs rejoin workforce [10/27/2015]

Grant to provide reemployment services, training for more than 400 additional workers

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor today announced the funding of a supplemental National Dislocated Worker Grant of $2.75 million to provide for reemployment and training services in Kentucky. The new funding will assist current program participants as well as an additional 406 targeted participants impacted by recent layoffs.

October 26, 2015

MSHA releases preliminary fatality data for third quarter of 2015

Seven miners die in third quarter of 2015; fewest coal deaths in a fiscal year

ARLINGTON, Va. – The U.S. Department of Labor's Mine Safety and Health Administration today announced its summary of U.S. mining deaths from July 1 through Sept. 30, 2015 shows seven fatalities occurred in industry accidents. In the first nine months of 2015, 25 fatalities occurred, eight fewer than in the same period in 2014.

October 26, 2015

WHD News Release: Buffet restaurant in Alexandria, Virginia, agrees to pay more than $227K in back wages, interest to 13 kitchen workers [10/26/2015]

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — For the kitchen workers at an Alexandria restaurant, making ends meet was a never-ending challenge, and working long, exhausting hours didn't help.

An investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division found that Wah Feng LLC, doing business as Win Buffet, a full-service buffet restaurant in Alexandria, did not pay employees minimum wage and overtime, as required by the Fair Labor Standards Act.

October 26, 2015

OSHA News Release: OSHA's regional emphasis program focuses on reducing illness and injury at Southwestern chicken processing facilities [10/26/2015]

DALLAS — Poultry workers are twice as likely to suffer serious injuries and six times more likely to get sick on the job than other private sector workers, facts that are leading federal safety and health inspectors to act in four Southwestern states to reduce musculoskeletal disorders and ergonomic stressors affecting industry workers.

October 26, 2015

OSHA News Release: OSHA's regional emphasis program focuses on reducing illness and injury at Southeastern chicken processing facilities [10/26/2015]

ATLANTA — Poultry workers are twice as likely to suffer serious injuries and six times more likely to get sick on the job than other private sector workers, facts that are leading federal safety and health inspectors to act in four Southeastern states to reduce musculoskeletal disorders and ergonomic stressors affecting industry workers.

October 26, 2015

MSHA News Release: MSHA releases preliminary fatality data for third quarter of 2015 [10/26/2015]

ARLINGTON, Va. — The U.S. Department of Labor's Mine Safety and Health Administration today announced its summary of U.S. mining deaths from July 1 through Sept. 30, 2015 shows seven fatalities occurred in industry accidents. In the first nine months of 2015, 25 fatalities occurred, eight fewer than in the same period in 2014.

October 23, 2015

WHD News Release: US Labor Department conducting wage survey of building and heavy construction industries in New Hampshire [10/23/2015]

PHILADELPHIA — The U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division is conducting a statewide building and heavy construction survey in New Hampshire to collect data on wages paid to workers on all active building and heavy construction projects in New Hampshire between April 1, 2014, and March 31, 2015. This survey is not limited to federally funded construction projects. The information provided will help establish prevailing wage rates, as required under the Davis-Bacon and Related Acts.

October 22, 2015

WHD News Release: Owners agree to change employment practices at 4 companies after US Labor Department finds significant wage violations at Michigan hotel [10/22/2015]

GRAYLING, Mich. — Workers in the hotel industry are hard-working people who greet us with a smile as they welcome us. Many of these workers earn low wages and often struggle to meet basic needs. This challenge is made even more difficult when employers fail to pay them properly for the jobs they perform.

U.S. Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division investigators found significant minimum wage and overtime violations at the Ramada Hotel Grayling, operated by Wellston, Michigan-based Satnaam Ji Inc.

October 22, 2015

OSHA News Brief: Roofing Contractor cited for exposing workers to fall hazards [10/22/2015]

Employer's name: Peak Roofing Inc. in Abilene, Texas

Citations issued: Oct. 21, 2015

October 22, 2015

EBSA News Release: New guidance on economically targeted investments in retirement plans from US Labor Department [10/22/2015]

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Labor Department has issued new guidance regarding economically targeted investments (ETIs) made by retirement plans covered by the Employee Retirement Income Security Act. ETIs are investments that are selected for the benefits they create in addition to the investment return to the employee benefit plan investor.

October 22, 2015

EBSA News Brief: US Labor Department recovers over $130K for former employees of Oxford Holdings Inc. after fiduciary fails to remit employee 401(k) contributions [10/22/2015]

Date of action: Oct. 19, 2015

Type of action: Consent Judgment and Order

Names of defendants: Steven J. Watkins, Oxford Holdings Inc., and Aetna 401(k) Plan

October 21, 2015

US Labor Department sues defunct construction company in California and Nevada to restore losses from fiduciary breaches of employees' benefits plan

Date of action: October 8, 2015

Type of action: Complaint

Name of defendants: Draeger Construction Inc.; Draeger Construction LLC; Draeger Construction Inc. Health and Welfare Plan; and Jeffrey Draeger, an individual