U.S. Department of Labor
U.S. Government: Agencies/Departments/Divisions | Federal Agencies
Recent News About U.S. Department of Labor
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The National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation announced that the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) in Philadelphia has scheduled a vote for July 17 to decide if employees at Philadelphia International Airport can remove Unite Here Local 274 union officials. This decision follows nearly five months of litigation initiated by employee Kale Mulugeta with assistance from the foundation's attorneys.
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The U.S. Department of Labor has recovered $52,497 in back wages for 134 workers with disabilities after an Amarillo nonprofit operator underpaid their wages. The nonprofit, Advo Companies Inc., provides rehabilitation and vocational training services to adults with developmental and physical disabilities. The Department's Wage and Hour Division found that the employer violated federal law by paying employees with disabilities an incorrect subminimum wage based on flawed time studies and incorrect prevailing wage rates."Evelyn Ortiz, Wage and Hour Division District...
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The Department of Labor will host an information session in Overland Park, Kansas, on May 8, 2024, for current and former nuclear weapons workers and their families employed at covered facilities on the benefits available under the federal Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act.Division of Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Director Rachel Pond emphasized the importance of the event, stating, "The Department of Labor encourages all current and former nuclear weapons workers and their families in the Kansas City area to attend this...
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The U.S. Department of Labor's Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) recently completed impact inspections at 14 mines in 11 states, revealing numerous violations and safety concerns. According to Assistant Secretary for Mine Safety and Health Chris Williamson, the inspections uncovered serious violations that put miners at risk of fire and explosion hazards and impeded their ability to escape emergency situations.One of the mines inspected was the Crimson Oak Grove Mine in Alabama, which had experienced a high citation rate and multiple hazard complaints. The...
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The Department of Labor has taken significant steps to protect critical Affordable Care Act consumer protections through the rescission of the Association Health Plan Rule. The Employee Benefits Security Administration issued a final rule aimed at reinforcing healthcare protections for consumers in plans offered by small employers or available for purchase on the individual market.According to Assistant Secretary for Employee Benefits Security Lisa M. Gomez, the decision to rescind the 2018 rule comes after the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia invalidated...
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The U.S. Department of Labor recently announced the recovery of $92,562 in back wages and damages from Alumatech Furniture Manufacturing Inc., a Florida outdoor furniture manufacturer located in East Bradenton. The investigation revealed that the company had denied overtime pay to its piece-rate and commission-based workers, in violation of the Fair Labor Standards Act.According to Wage and Hour Division District Director Nicolas Ratmiroff in Tampa, Florida, "The U.S. Department of Labor is committed to ensuring workers get every dollar they earned. Employers who choose...
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The Department of Labor finalized a new rule aimed at strengthening protections for farmworkers, particularly those under the H-2A program. Acting Secretary Julie Su emphasized the importance of ensuring fair treatment for all farmworkers, stating, “H-2A workers too frequently face abusive working conditions that undercut all farmworkers in the U.S.” The rule focuses on promoting worker advocacy, clarifying termination policies, enhancing transparency in foreign labor recruitment, ensuring timely wage changes, improving transportation safety, preventing labor exploitation...
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Acting Secretary Julie Su has praised the announcement of Micron Technology Inc. constructing two new semiconductor fabrication facilities in New York, a move expected to generate over 70,000 jobs. In a statement, Acting Secretary Su emphasized President Biden's economic strategy of 'made in America,' stating that the investment in Micron aligns with this vision by bringing semiconductor production back home.Highlighting Micron's commitment to worker-centric practices, Acting Secretary Su noted that the company is implementing Project Labor Agreements for the construction...
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Acting Secretary Julie Su emphasized the Biden-Harris administration's commitment to diversity in the workforce, stating, “The Biden-Harris administration is committed to building a workforce that looks like America—and the Megaproject Program is all about us putting our money where our mouths are."Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs Acting Director Michele Hodge highlighted the importance of Megaprojects in providing opportunities for workers, saying, “Megaprojects provide workers with opportunities to access life-changing, good-paying construction jobs."...
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The Department of Labor has announced that it will be offering online seminars in May and August on prevailing wage requirements for federally funded projects. The seminars aim to educate contracting agencies, contractors, unions, workers, and other stakeholders on meeting federal requirements for paying prevailing wages on construction and service contracts.According to Wage and Hour Administrator Jessica Looman, "Prevailing wage laws empower workers by ensuring that federally funded construction and service jobs are good jobs with fair wages and benefits." The online...
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The U.S. Department of Labor has recovered $245,722 in back wages and damages for 10 cooks after uncovering deliberate violations by the owner and operator of four northern California restaurants. The employer, The Pho restaurants, and principal owner Thuan Do, knowingly denied the cooks required overtime and minimum wages, as reported by the department's Wage and Hour Division.The investigation revealed that the employer had been paying the affected employees a flat salary for all hours, in violation of federal wage regulations. The employer also falsified payroll...
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El Departamento de Trabajo de EE. UU. ha logrado recuperar casi $85,000 para 32 conductores de transporte que fueron erróneamente clasificados como contratistas independientes por una empresa de transporte de casas móviles en Texas.La investigación realizada en Paredes Inc., que opera como Superior Service en Maxwell, Texas, reveló que la empresa había clasificado incorrectamente a los trabajadores como contratistas independientes en lugar de empleados. Los conductores se encargaban de transportar viviendas móviles, mientras que otros trabajadores realizaban diversas...
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A Vermont restaurant server was found to have been retaliated against by their employer, resulting in a $50,000 punitive damages settlement and $829 in back pay. The U.S. Department of Labor investigation revealed that the employer, Trareeba Ltd., operating as Colatina Exit in Bradford, Vermont, unlawfully included managers in its tip pool, violating the Fair Labor Standards Act.Furthermore, the investigation discovered that the restaurant failed to pay workers time and a half for hours worked over 40 in a workweek and employed two 17-year-old delivery drivers for...
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Department of Labor Recovers $85K in Owed Wages for Misclassified Mobile Home Transportation WorkersThe U.S. Department of Labor recently announced the recovery of nearly $85,000 in owed wages for 32 mobile home transportation drivers and laborers who were misclassified as independent contractors. The investigation focused on Paredes Inc., operating as Superior Service, a mobile home transportation company based in Maxwell, Texas.According to the Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division, the drivers and laborers were actually employees, not independent contractors as classified by Paredes Inc. The division found that the company violated federal law by failing to...
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The Department of Labor has unveiled a new interactive map aimed at highlighting more than 1,000 planned clean energy projects across the United States that have the potential to create good-paying jobs. This initiative is in line with the Biden-Harris administration's commitment to fostering job growth while addressing the pressing issue of climate change.Acting Secretary Julie Su emphasized the importance of the map, stating, "This map is a collaboration between the U.S. Department of Labor and other federal agencies to help ensure that the Biden-Harris administration’s...
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WASHINGTON – The Biden-Harris administration has finalized a rule aimed at increasing compensation thresholds for overtime eligibility, expanding protections for millions of workers across the nation.Effective July 1, 2024, the new rule will see the salary threshold for exempting salaried employees from federal overtime pay requirements rise to an annual salary of $43,888, with a further increase to $58,656 on Jan. 1, 2025. This initiative aims to provide more equitable treatment for lower-paid salaried workers in comparison to their hourly counterparts.Acting Secretary...
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The Biden-Harris administration has taken a significant step to safeguard the interests of retirement savers by updating the definition of an investment advice fiduciary. The U.S. Department of Labor has finalized the Retirement Security Rule, aiming to protect workers diligently saving for retirement who rely on trusted professionals for investment advice.According to Acting Secretary Julie Su, "America’s workers and their families rely on investment professionals for guidance as they save for retirement." The rule seeks to ensure that investment advice providers offer...
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The U.S. Department of Labor has once again cited Hanover Foods Corp. for exposing workers to numerous safety and health hazards, proposing penalties totaling $761,876. The violations were discovered at the company's Centre Hall facility in Pennsylvania.According to OSHA Area Director Kevin T. Chambers, the company was cited for 70 violations, including repeat, serious, and other-than-serious infractions related to Process Safety Management failures. Chambers stated, “Hanover Foods Corp. put its employees at risk of serious safety and health hazards by not complying with...
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Federal workplace safety investigators have determined that a Tampa-area construction contractor could have prevented a 37-year-old aerial lift operator from suffering fatal injuries after being struck by a boom as a crane tipped over during work on an Orlando highway ramp in October 2023.“The death of any worker is a terrible loss that leaves their family, friends and co-workers devastated. Their pain only worsened when learning the tragedy could have been prevented,” said OSHA Area Office Director Erin Sanchez in Orlando, Florida. “Our investigation found Concrete...
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The U.S. Department of Labor recently secured a significant judgment against a Virginia concrete contractor, Village Concrete Inc., ordering the company to pay almost $1.2 million in back wages, damages, and penalties. This judgment stems from the Department's investigation, which revealed that Village Concrete had misclassified 29 employees as independent contractors and failed to provide proper overtime pay.According to Wage and Hour Administrator Jessica Looman, the misclassification of employees has serious consequences, as it denies them essential benefits and...