Labor News
Labor
News Release: HOUSTON - A federal whistleblower investigation led the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration to order a Houston mobile crane rental company to pay a former employee nearly $24,000 in back wages, interest and damages after firing the worker in June 2020 for refusing to drive in excess of federal limits and reported fatigue.
Labor
Federal court finds owner of three Hawaii restaurants shortchanged 71 workers, orders payment of $220K in back wages, damages
News Release: HONOLULU - A federal court has affirmed the findings of a U.S. Department of Labor investigation that determined the owner of three Hawaii restaurants denied workers overtime and minimum wages, and discarded time records in violation of the Fair Labor Standards Act.
Labor
ICYMI: Secretary Walsh stands with workers in Alabama to announce final rule to raise minimum wage to $15 for federal contract workers
News Release: BIRMINGHAM, AL - U.S. Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh stood with workers and local officials in Birmingham, Alabama, today to announce the department’s final rule that implements Executive Order 14026 to increase the hourly minimum wage for employees on federal contracts to $15 per hour beginning Jan. 30, 2022. President Biden signed the order on April 27, 2021.
Labor
US Department of Labor finds Santa Fe art delivery company paid drivers per day or per mile, failed to pay overtime wages
News Release: SANTA FE, NM - In the nation’s third largest market for fine art, industry employers must meet exacting standards to safeguard and transact their clients’ work. Ironically, a recent federal investigation found the operator of a Santa Fe art delivery service was far less careful when it came to paying all of the wages earned by seven of its drivers.
Labor
US Department of Labor cites two contractors after 25-foot fall fatally injures one carpenter, seriously injures another at Bradenton Beach project
News Release: BRADENTON BEACH, FL – Two men doing framing work at a residential construction project in Bradenton Beach on June 23, 2021, had no warning when the platform beneath them failed, causing both to fall about 25 feet – roughly two stories – to the ground. Head trauma killed a 49-year-old carpenter and crew leader, who died at the scene. The second worker, a 40-year-old carpenter, suffered fractures to his leg, knee, ribs and nose, and needed transport to a local hospital.
Labor
US Department of Labor, Travis County District Attorney commit to expand, improve protection of workers’ wages, enforcement of laws
News Release: AUSTIN, TX - Officials from the U.S. Department of Labor and the Travis County District Attorney’s Office signed a Memorandum of Understanding to expand and improve the protection of Travis County’s workforce, enforcement of wage laws and level the playing field for responsible employers.
Labor
Court orders convenience store, pizzeria operator to pay $120K in back wages, damages, penalties after US Department of Labor investigation
News Release: NEW YORK - The U.S. District Court for the Northern District of New York has entered a consent judgment ordering a Syracuse gas station and convenience store and a Jamesville pizzeria and convenience store and their owner to pay $56,364 in back wages and an equal amount of $56,364 in liquidated damages to 12 employees denied overtime wages.
Labor
Federal court orders Long Island contractors to pay nearly $1M in back wages, damages following US Department of Labor investigation
News Release: NEW YORK - Three Bellport concrete supply and construction companies and their owner, who schemed for three years to deny overtime pay to 99 laborers, have been ordered to pay the workers a total of $987,591 in back wages and liquidated damages, plus interest, in a consent judgment entered in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York.
Labor
US Department of Labor cites St. Croix refinery for failing to protect workers from hazardous chemicals following flaring incidents
News Release: GUAYNABO, PR - Oil and vapor releases into the air and fiery flares at a St. Croix refinery in February and May led to an investigation that found the operator failed to meet federal workplace chemical safety standards and endangered workers.
Labor
Statement by Secretary Walsh on Federal Reserve Nominations
News Release: WASHINGTON - U.S. Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh issued the following statement on President Biden’s nomination of Jerome Powell as Chair and Lael Brainard as Vice Chair of the Federal Reserve:
Labor
US Department of Labor finds Fairdale country club failed to pay minimum, overtime wages, violated child labor laws; recovers $21K for 43 workers
News Release: LOUISVILLE, KY – A Fairdale country club operator failed to pay some workers minimum hourly wages, denied overtime pay to other workers, paid incorrect overtime rates to others, and assigned minor-aged workers duties not permitted by law, a U.S. Department of Labor investigation has found.
Labor
US Department of Labor awards $5M grant to combat illegal fishing, improve working conditions in Peru, Ecuador’s fishing sectors
News Release: WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today awarded $5 million in a cooperative agreement for the International Labour Organization focused on strengthening decent working conditions in Peru and Ecuador by combating illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing in coastal communities.
Labor
US Department of Labor recovers $45K for 22 Las Cruces restaurant workers whose employer did not pay overtime
News Release: LAS CRUCES, NM - Amid the pandemic, many restaurant workers suffered lost or reduced wages when businesses closed or were forced to limit or suspend indoor dining. For workers employed by a Las Cruces restaurant operator, making ends meet became more difficult when their employer shortchanged them.
Labor
Statement by US Secretary of Labor Walsh on the November Jobs Report
News Release: WASHINGTON - U.S. Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh issued the following statement on the November 2021 Employment Situation Report:
Labor
US Department of Labor extends deadline for nominations to serve on Federal Advisory Council on Occupational Safety and Health
News Release: WASHINGTON - The U.S. Department of Labor has extended the deadline for submitting nominations to serve on the Federal Advisory Council on Occupational Safety and Health. Nominations must now be submitted by Jan. 31, 2022.
Labor
Operator of five Charleston-area Marco’s Pizza locations pays $101K in penalties after federal investigation finds minors’ safety put at risk
News Release: COLUMBIA, SC - The operator of five Charleston-area Marco’s Pizza locations paid $101,027 in civil penalties after federal investigators found the employer endangered minor-aged workers by allowing them to perform prohibited or hazardous duties and employed a 17-year-old worker illegally as a delivery driver.
Labor
US Department of Labor releases Supplemental Statement on private equity investments in participant-directed retirement savings plans
News Release: WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today released a Supplemental Statement clarifying a June 2020 Information Letter on private equity investments as a component of a professionally managed asset allocation fund offered as an investment option in participant-directed retirement savings plans, ...
Labor
US Department of Labor announces enforcement policy on disclosure requirements for group health plan service providers
News Release: WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Employee Benefits Security Administration today released Field Assistance Bulletin 2021-03 announcing a temporary enforcement policy regarding the new fee transparency disclosure requirements added to the Employee Retirement Income Security Act for persons providing brokerage services and consulting to ERISA group health plans.
Labor
US Department of Labor announces upcoming actions in Biden-Harris administration fall 2021 regulatory agenda
News Release: WASHINGTON - The Biden-Harris administration today released its semi-annual agenda of regulations required by Executive Order 12866. The agenda provides a listing of all regulations and ensures public engagement in the process of establishing regulations under active consideration by the Department of Labor during the coming one-year period.
Labor
Federal investigation, consent judgment leads to recovery of $170K in back wages, damages for 17 workers at two Austin-area restaurants
News Release: AUSTIN, TX - A federal investigation and consent judgment has recovered $170,000 in back wages and liquidated damages from the operator of two Austin-area restaurants who denied overtime to 17 kitchen workers who labored 60 hours a week. The probe found the restaurants’ operator later submitted falsified documents to investigators to make it appear they had paid overtime pay to resolve Fair Labor Standards Act violations found by the U.S. Department of Labor.
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