Fast food employer in Alabama fined $119,029 for allowing children to work longer than law allows

The U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL) Wage and Hour Division has imposed a fine of $479,983 on a Park Hills, Missouri-based vegetable farming and packing company following an investigation that revealed the amount owed to 208 workers. The settlement was recently announced by the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri.

A forklift operator at Boston’s Logan International Airport has been fined $46,096 by the U.S. Department of Labor's (DOL) Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) for four serious work-related violations. The investigation was initiated following the death of an employee working for the company in August.

Hydrogen sulfide gas was identified as the toxin that led to the death of an employee at a truck washing company in Liberal, Kansas, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. The incident also resulted in two other workers being hospitalized as they were cleaning tanker trailers for the company.

The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has imposed a fine of $438,625 on a Mercedes-Benz manufacturing facility in Alabama for violations related to the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). The fine pertains to back wages owed after two workers were dismissed following their requests for FMLA leave. The total amount also includes liquidated damages and unpaid bonuses as part of the recovered compensation.

A trench collapse in Georgia, which led to the hospitalization of one worker and the tragic death of another aged 20, could have been avoided, says the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL). The department's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has found that a plumbing contractor based in Macon, Georgia, failed to ensure adherence to safety protocols.

A liquor store based in Granger, Indiana is currently under investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) due to allegations of intimidation tactics used against employees seeking back wages. The federal agency is seeking a temporary restraining order from a court against the business owner.

The number of U.S. workers participating in strikes saw a significant increase in 2023, according to an analysis by the Economic Policy Institute (EPI) based on fresh data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). However, the research also highlights the urgent need for federal and state lawmakers to reinforce American workers' rights to join unions and bargain collectively.

A sawmill based in Phenix City, Alabama has been fined approximately $2.5 million by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) following a fatal incident at its facility in August. This represents the second employee fatality at the company within a span of three years.

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has imposed a fine of $348,683 on Kenric Steel LLC, a New Jersey-based steel fabrication business. The company is accused of exposing its employees to safety hazards at their Millville headquarters. The investigation into the case was initiated last summer following a complaint.

The U.S. Department of Education (ED) recently organized its inaugural youth summit with a focus on creating a workforce and economy that prioritizes guiding young people towards high-quality jobs. The event provided policymakers an opportunity to engage directly with the youth.

The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has unveiled a revised Equity Action Plan, aimed at aligning with the Biden administration's objective to ensure fairness and equity are integral principles in the government's daily practices. The report now states, "equal opportunity is the bedrock of American democracy, and our diversity is one of our country’s greatest strengths."

The U.S. Department of Labor has imposed fines on a maintenance and repair contractor based in Birmingham, Alabama, and a distributor of bulk cement based in Port Everglades, Florida, in connection with the death of a 39-year-old worker at a Fort Lauderdale job site. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) concluded after an investigation that the two contractors could have prevented the fatality by adhering to safety regulations and maintaining effective communication.

The U.S. Department of Labor's year-long investigation into Forge Industrial Staffing, originally prompted by allegations made in a New York Times article related to child labor, has yet to find evidence of violations at the company. Forge has cooperated with the department's investigation, except to provide the confidential client information - an action Forge says would deal significant damage to the company regardless of the inquiry's outcome.

Tufco LP, a Green Bay-based industry leader in the manufacturing of branded and industrial wet and dry wipe products, has been fined $194,000 for violating federal regulations. The violation pertains to an incident involving the amputation of an employee’s fingertips last summer. It was also discovered that the company neglected to report the incident as mandated by federal law.

A Korean restaurant based in Boston has been mandated to pay $320,000 in back wages following a finding by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division that it failed to inform some workers about their cash wage and tip credit. The department established that the restaurant was not adhering to the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), with 59 current and former workers implicated in the dispute.