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The US Department of Labor has awarded $696,085 to Coastal Counties Workforce Inc. to continue employment and training services for dislocated workers in six counties in Maine. The funding is part of the National Dislocated Worker Grant program aimed at assisting individuals affected by layoffs in Cumberland, Knox, Lincoln, Sagadahoc, Waldo, and York counties.According to the Department of Labor, the grant will support job search assistance and follow-up services for participants impacted by communitywide layoffs in Maine's coastal communities. This funding comes as a...
Labor
Department of Labor to Celebrate Youth Apprenticeships During Inaugural Youth Apprenticeship Week
The Department of Labor will celebrate the benefits of Registered Apprenticeships during the first Youth Apprenticeship Week from May 5-11, with a series of events and proclamations scheduled across the U.S."Youth Apprenticeship Week recognizes the Biden-Harris administration’s commitment to create employment opportunities for young adults and the critical role they play in our nation’s workforce infrastructure," said Acting Secretary Julie Su. "Youth apprenticeships are not just pathways to careers, they are bridges to futures filled with promise, opportunity and endless...
Labor
Acting Secretary of Labor Su Comments on April Jobs Report
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Acting Secretary of Labor Julie Su issued a statement on the April 2024 Employment Situation report released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics."Today, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that the American economy added 175,000 jobs in April, and the unemployment rate was 3.9 percent. This continues the longest stretch of such low unemployment in more than a half century," said Acting Secretary Su.Su also highlighted the positive trend in the labor force, stating, “Notably, the share of working age women in the labor force rose to a historic...
Labor
Department of Labor Awards $98M in Grants to Support Training and Employment Services for Young People
The Department of Labor has announced the award of $98 million in grants to 72 organizations in 30 states and Guam to provide training and employment services to young people, with a focus on increasing apprenticeships in high-demand careers. The grants aim to prepare young workers for quality jobs and strengthen the nation's workforce to meet industry demands.According to Assistant Secretary for Employment and Training José Javier Rodríguez, the YouthBuild grants will help young people acquire the skills and training needed to access the job opportunities created by...
Labor
Departments of Labor and Treasury Collaborate to Enhance Fraud Prevention Efforts in Unemployment Insurance Programs
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Departments of Labor and Treasury have unveiled a new partnership aimed at bolstering fraud prevention measures in state unemployment insurance agencies. The initiative, announced on May 2, 2024, marks a significant step towards enhancing controls and tools to combat unemployment insurance fraud.As part of the collaboration, state unemployment agencies will now have access to the Do Not Pay Working System data sources and services through the UI Integrity Data Hub. The hub, managed by the National Association of State Workforce Agencies, serves as a...
Labor
Department of Labor Investigation Finds Boston Window Cleaner's Fatal Fall Due to Employer Negligence
BRAINTREE, MA – The U.S. Department of Labor's investigation into the 29-story fall of a window cleaner in downtown Boston's financial district in October 2023 has revealed alarming negligence on the part of the employer, Sky Safety Inc.According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), Sky Safety Inc. failed to inspect and replace damaged or defective equipment, leading to the tragic incident. OSHA found that the company exposed employees to fall hazards by not ensuring that personal fall protection systems and rope descent systems were in proper...
Labor
Sysco West Coast Florida to Pay $133K in Back Wages to Resolve Hiring Discrimination Allegations
Sysco West Coast Florida Inc., a subsidiary of food service distributor Sysco Corp., has agreed to pay $133,625 in back wages and interest to resolve alleged hiring discrimination against 95 female applicants for outbound selector positions at its Palmetto facility. The Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) conducted a routine compliance review and found that the employer's hiring practices violated Executive Order 11246."Federal contractors like Sysco West Coast Florida are required to make certain its employment practices comply...
Labor
Department of Labor Finds Children Employed Illegally in Dangerous Jobs, Obtains $4.8M in Wages, Damages for Poultry Industry Workers in California
WASHINGTON – In one of the largest wage violation settlements ever reached for U.S. poultry workers, a federal court in Los Angeles has entered a consent judgment that orders Fu Qian Chen Lu, Bruce Shu Hua Lok and others as owners and operators of a network of California poultry processors and distributors to pay $4.8 million in back wages and damages to 476 workers and $221,919 in penalties after a U.S. Department of Labor investigation.The settlement arises from a case where the employers were found to have illegally employed children, some as young as 14 years old, to...
Labor
Department of Labor Recovers $538K in Back Wages and Damages from Maryland Employer
The Department of Labor has successfully recovered $538K in back wages and damages from a Maryland residential rehabilitation provider, Divine Connect Care Inc., for 37 landscaping workers who were denied full pay. The investigation revealed that the employer failed to pay non-exempt direct support staff the required overtime premium for hours worked over 40 in a week, as well as failed to pay one employee for all hours worked.John L. DuMont, the Wage and Hour Division District Director in Pittsburgh, expressed, “Our investigators found Divine Connect Care failed to pay...
Labor
Department of Labor Advisory Board on Toxic Substances and Worker Health to Meet in Oak Ridge, Tennessee
The Department of Labor has announced that the Advisory Board on Toxic Substances and Worker Health for Part E of the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act will be convening on May 8-9, 2024, in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. The meetings, which are focused on providing compensation and medical benefits to nuclear weapons workers affected by exposure to toxic substances, will be open to the public.According to the announcement, the 12-member advisory board, including members from scientific, medical, and claimant communities, is appointed by the Secretary...
Labor
Department of Labor Recovers $422K in Back Wages and Damages for Home Care Workers in Louisiana
The Department of Labor in Louisiana has successfully recovered $422,484 in back wages and damages for 219 workers employed by home care providers in Baton Rouge, Greensburg, and Shreveport. The workers, employed by five companies - Assisted Hands LLC, Joy PCA Services LLC, Our Grace LLC, Quality Community Homes LLC, and We Care Sitting Services LLC - were found to have been shortchanged due to improper employment practices in the industry.According to Wage and Hour Division District Director Troy Mouton in New Orleans, the misclassification of employees as independent...
Labor
US Department of Labor Condemns South Carolina Shipyard for Fatal Worker Fall
NORTH CHARLESTON, SC – A recent U.S. Department of Labor inspection has revealed concerning safety lapses at Detyens Shipyards Inc. in North Charleston, resulting in the tragic death of a 41-year-old worker. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) found that the shipyard's negligence led to the fatal fall, marking the fourth employee fatality in five years.OSHA Area Office Director Kim Morton expressed grave concern over the recurring safety issues at Detyens Shipyards, stating, "For the fourth time in five years, Detyens Shipyards failed in its primary...
Labor
US Department of Labor Finds Georgia Construction Contractor Could Have Prevented 31-Year-Old Worker’s Fatal Fall in Arcadia
The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recently investigated a tragic incident at an Arcadia worksite where a 31-year-old steel erector lost his life due to a fall. The investigation revealed that the employer, Landmark Erecting Inc. of Hahira, failed to enforce safety regulations, leading to the fatal accident.According to OSHA Area Director Danelle Jindra in Tampa, Florida, "Landmark Erecting’s repeated failure to follow required safeguards to protect employees from falls, especially after we cited the company less than a...
Labor
Department of Labor Announces $6.5M in Grants for Farmworker Housing Services
The Department of Labor has unveiled a new initiative aimed at enhancing housing services for migrant and seasonal farmworkers and their dependents. In an announcement made today, the department revealed that there is $6.5 million in grants available for organizations to improve the delivery of safe and sanitary housing solutions for this vulnerable population.According to the Department of Labor, the funding, which is authorized by the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, will focus on connecting eligible migrant and seasonal farmworkers and their dependents to both...
Labor
Department of Labor investigation finds home care agency failed to protect workers against workplace violence
The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has concluded an investigation into the death of a licensed practical nurse, Joyce Grayson, during a home visit in Willimantic, Connecticut. The investigation found that Elara Caring, one of the nation's largest home-based care providers, failed to protect its employees from workplace violence.OSHA cited Jordan Health Care Inc. and New England Home Care Inc., both operating as Elara Caring, for not implementing adequate measures to safeguard employees from the dangers of workplace...
Labor
Department of Labor Seeks Input from North Carolina Highway Construction Industry for Wage Survey
The Department of Labor is encouraging employers and stakeholders in North Carolina’s highway construction industry to participate in a statewide survey to help establish prevailing wage rates for construction workers on federally funded and assisted projects. According to the department, the prevailing wage rates should reflect the actual wages and fringe benefits paid to construction workers in the county where the work takes place."This survey requests information about wages paid by employers on highway construction projects in North Carolina where construction...
Labor
Fast food employer in Alabama fined $119,029 for allowing children to work longer than law allows
The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has found an operator of seven Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers franchise locations in Alabama guilty of violating child labor laws. The investigation revealed that 149 children under the age of 16 were allowed to work longer than legally permitted, and a 15-year-old employee was unlawfully allowed to operate a manual deep fryer.
Labor
DOL to provide community colleges with $65 million to help meet employer demand of skilled workers
The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has announced a grant of $65 million, aimed at providing training to colleges working with infrastructure-related sectors to develop skilled workers. The funds will be managed by the department’s Employment and Training Administration.
Labor
DOL claims electric battery maker in Georgia exposed workers to toxins during lithium battery fire
SK Battery America Inc., an electric battery manufacturer based in Commerce, Georgia, is facing $77,000 in fines for exposing its approximately 3,100 employees to serious safety and health hazards. The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) revealed that a lithium battery fire in October 2023 could have exposed workers to permanent respiratory damage.
Labor
Michigan staffing firm objects to magistrate judge recommendation in DOL case
Forge Industrial Staffing, a Michigan-based temporary employment agency, has filed objections to a magistrate judge's recommendation in a subpoena dispute case between the company and the U.S. Department of Labor. The department issued the subpoenas in its investigation into child labor allegations.
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