News and reports from the Department of Labor.

SAN FRANCISCO - Una investigación del Departamento de Trabajo de EE.UU. ha recuperado más de $450,000 en sueldos atrasados y compensación por daños para 62 personas empleadas en dos granjas de hongos en Half Moon Bay. Este lugar fue escenario de un tiroteo mortal en enero de 2023, cuando un trabajador descontento disparó y mató a siete trabajadores migrantes. Los empleadores fueron multados después de que los investigadores descubrieran que pagaban menos a los trabajadores y los alojaban en viviendas inseguras.

The U.S. Department of Labor has cited a leading tool and equipment manufacturer following an incident in which a 29-year-old maintenance electrician suffered severe burns during an electrical arc blast at a facility in Willard, Ohio. The investigation revealed that the injuries could have been prevented if required safety standards had been followed.

On May 28, 2024, the U.S. Department of Labor announced the recovery of $175,000 in back wages for 44 miners laid off by Ben’s Creek Operations WV LLC, a Charleston coal mining company. The company informed the workers of their layoff on April 9, 2024, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy five days later, and failed to issue the miners their final paycheck due on April 19 for two weeks of work from March 31 to April 13, 2024. During this period, the mine produced approximately 40,000 tons of metallurgical coal valued at over $3 million.

HOUSTON – After severe weather and other natural calamities, the U.S. Department of Labor is urging employers involved in debris clearance, home repair, and disaster recovery services to adhere to federal wage regulations. The department highlights its resources designed to prevent wage violations.

OKLAHOMA CITY – After severe weather and other natural calamities strike, the U.S. Department of Labor urges employers who clear debris, repair homes, or provide other disaster recovery services to avoid using pay practices that violate federal regulations by taking advantage of the many resources it provides.

The U.S. Department of Labor has announced an incremental award of $3,750,000 to support disaster-relief employment and workforce training for eligible residents in Florida as the state continues its recovery from Hurricane Ian.

The U.S. Department of Labor has reached a settlement agreement with Granite & Marble Services LLC, a New Jersey contractor, following the fatal fall of a worker at a Bayonne construction site in October 2023.

WASHINGTON – Acting Secretary of Labor Julie Su today issued a statement regarding the final contract agreement between the United Steelworkers and Blue Bird Corp, a leading manufacturer of low- and zero-emission school buses.

PORTLAND, OR – After a two-day bench trial, the U.S. Department of Labor secured a federal court judgment ordering the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) to pay $141,307 in lost wages and damages for emotional distress to a probationary mail carrier. The employee was terminated after reporting an on-the-job injury to their supervisor and filing an accident report.

The U.S. Department of Labor has filed a complaint in federal court against Gordo Corp., operating as El Gordito in Belleville, Illinois, and its owners Patricia and Samuel Gonzalez Lara. The complaint, lodged on May 21, 2024, alleges violations of federal minimum wage, overtime, and recordkeeping regulations.

The U.S. Department of Labor announced a voluntary resolution agreement with the Employment Department of Oregon to enhance language access in its unemployment insurance program for individuals with limited English proficiency.

A federal court in Vermont has ruled that the First Amendment does not protect a Milton, Vermont excavation contractor and its officials from using social media to retaliate against employees. The decision by the U.S. District Court for the District of Vermont is part of ongoing litigation between the Department of Labor and Bevins & Son Inc. and represents one of the first federal court decisions to address the relationship between the First Amendment and the anti-retaliation provision of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).

El Departamento del Trabajo de los EE. UU. anunció hoy un acuerdo voluntario con el Departamento de Empleo de Oregon para mejorar el acceso al programa de seguro de desempleo para personas con dominio limitado del inglés.

The U.S. Department of Labor has secured a consent judgment requiring MKK Holding Inc., operating as Blue Fish Asian Cuisine in Dearborn, Michigan, to pay $38,602 in back wages and liquidated damages to 17 employees. The judgment also finds owner Sung Hee Kim in contempt of a 2018 court order to comply with the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).

On May 20, 2024, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York issued a consent judgment and order against P & B Heating & Air Conditioning Corp., based in West Babylon, New York. The court mandated the company to pay $15,000 in punitive damages to employees and permanently enjoined it from violating the Fair Labor Standards Act’s (FLSA) anti-retaliation provisions.