NEW YORK – The U.S. Department of Labor has filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of New York seeking the appointment of an independent fiduciary to oversee the abandoned 401(k) plan of the defunct Swigonski Management Group, formerly located in Sherrill, N.Y.

SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA In the week ending Dec. 18, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 420,000, a decrease of 3,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 423,000. The 4-week moving average was 426,000, an increase of 2,500 from the previous week's revised average of 423,500.

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 3.2 percent for the week ending Dec. 11, a decrease of 0.1 percentage point from the prior week's unrevised rate of 3.3 percent.

Crystal Lake, Illinois – The U.S. Department of Labor has filed an adversary complaint against Joseph Phelan, former president and fiduciary of Phezer Enterprises Inc. of Crystal Lake, in order to prevent the discharge of $10,470 from his personal bankruptcy, which is owed to the company’s employee health plan.

West Palm Beach, Florida – A federal court in West Palm Beach, Florida, has approved a consent judgment between the U.S. Department of Labor and officers of Bonnie Tile Corp. to restore funds to the company’s savings incentive match plan for employees individual retirement account (SIMPLE IRA) plan.

Rule underscores mine operators responsibility for conducting safety and health examinations

Agency rescinds Clinton-era directive and gives workers more safeguards against falls

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced a $2,994,763 National Emergency Grant increment to continue providing services to workers affected by layoffs from multiple companies in the aviation, construction, health care, manufacturing and retail industries in south central Kansas. The majority of the layoffs were from four companies in the area's aviation manufacturing industry: Boeing, Bombardier Aerospace, Cessna and Hawker Beechcraft Corp.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Employee Benefits Security Administration today announced it will hold a public hearing on March 1, 2011 and if necessary, March 2, 2011, in Washington, D.C. on the proposed rule amending the definition of the term “fiduciary.” The proposed rule was published in the Oct. 22, 2010 Federal Register for public comment.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor has announced a $543,705 National Emergency Grant supplemental award to Missouri to continue re-employment services to about 400 civilian defense workers affected by 2005 Base Realignment and Closure actions.

ARLINGTON, Va. – The U.S. Department of Labor's Mine Safety and Health Administration today announced that federal inspectors issued 250 citations, orders and safeguards during special impact inspections conducted at 12 coal and 10 metal/nonmetal mine operations last month.

WASHINGTON – Officials at seven of the U.S. Department of Labor s agencies will host live Web chats and, in one case, a conference call to discuss their respective regulatory agendas during the first week of January 2011. These events are open to the public and members of the press. The Labor Department s entire regulatory agenda was published in the Dec. 20 issue of the Federal Register.

WHO: Officials of U.S. Department of Labor agencies

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division is requesting public comments on its preliminary interpretations of a new provision of the Fair Labor Standards Act that requires employers to provide nursing mothers with reasonable break time and a private space for expressing breast milk while at work. This new provision — the Break Time for Nursing Mothers Law — became law when the Affordable Care Act was signed by the president in March 2010.

WASHINGTON – Officials at seven of the U.S. Department of Labor’s agencies will host live Web chats and, in one case, a conference call to discuss their respective regulatory agendas during the first week of January 2011. These events are open to the public and members of the press. The Labor Department’s entire regulatory agenda was published in the Dec. 20 issue of the Federal Register.

WASHINGTON – Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis today announced the appointments of five new members to the 2011 Advisory Council on Employee Welfare and Pension Benefit Plans – known as the ERISA Advisory Council. She also announced the appointment of the incoming chair and vice chair of the council.

WASHINGTON – Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis made the following remarks in response to the Senate vote on the Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors, or Dream, Act:

ARLINGTON, Va. – The U.S. Department of Labor's Mine Safety and Health Administration announced today that it successfully obtained a court order that imposes a number of requirements on Sullivan Granite Co. LLC, which operates Brown's Meadow Quarry in Franklin, Maine.

NACOSH meeting scheduled for Jan. 19-20, 2011

WASHINGTON – Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis today announced appointment of five new members to the National Advisory Committee on Occupational Safety and Health. The department's emphasis on worker safety and health was enhanced by these new appointees, who will serve two-year terms, and are leaders in the fields of medicine, academia and safety program development.

Operators play important role to ensure miners not overexposed to harmful contaminants

Solis and Sebelius lead charge to end homelessness

SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA In the week ending Dec. 11, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 420,000, a decrease of 3,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 423,000. The 4-week moving average was 422,750, a decrease of 5,250 from the previous week's revised average of 428,000.

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 3.3 percent for the week ending Dec. 4, unchanged from the prior week's revised rate of 3.3 percent.