Labor Dept.

SAN FRANCISCO, 07/17/2008 — The U.S. Department of Labor has sued a purported employer association, a health fund trustee, and the fund's consultant over alleged imprudent management of the Manufacturing and Industrial Workers Benefit Fund (MIWU) of Bryan, Texas. The defendants' actions allegedly resulted in more than $3.4 million in unpaid health claims affecting participants in Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Texas and other states.    » read more »

Members of Senate Labor Panel Question Labor Secretary Chao Today

May 7, 2008 -- Washington, DC – U.S. Senators Tom Harkin (D-IA), Edward M. Kennedy (D-MA), and Patty Murray (D-WA) today revealed the findings of a Government Accountability Office (GAO) report they commissioned which showed that after seven years of providing nearly $300 million in earmarks, the Department of Labor (DoL) did not properly monitor funded activities, to assess whether the grant objectives were being met or properly evaluate them to determine whether the funded activities were effective.    » read more »

03/28/2008, DES MOINES, Iowa — In a ceremony today at the Des Moines Botanical Center, Scott Shortenhaus, deputy director of the U.S. Department of Labor's Center for Faith-Based and Community Initiatives (CFBCI), honored Spectrum Resources as a Champion of Compassion Award winner.

"The difference Spectrum Resources makes in Des Moines shows what can happen when government partners with effective faith-based and community organizations to serve our neighbors in need," said Shortenhaus. "The commitment and the caring touch of organizations such as Spectrum Resources can make that critical difference between repeated struggles and new beginnings for ex-prisoners and others in need. They are the vital heart of the faith-based and community initiative."    » read more »

Convictions up 20 percent, indictments 39 percent over fiscal year 2007

WASHINGTON, 03/14/2008 — The U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Labor-Management Standards (OLMS) today announced its criminal enforcement data for February 2008. During the month, OLMS obtained eight convictions, 11 indictments and court orders of restitution totaling $185,318. The office's totals for fiscal year 2008 (which began on Oct. 1, 2007) now stand at 49 convictions, 57 indictments, and court-ordered restitution of $1,251,798. The bulk of the cases involved the embezzlement of union funds.    » read more »

02/21/2008, WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor today announced a $250,000 Regional Innovation Grant to the state of Iowa to assist the Cedar Valley region in expanding its economic development efforts in the wake of long-term downsizing at Deere & Co. The funding will be used to develop strategies that incorporate the region's assets and create economic advantages that attract employers and competitive employment opportunities for workers.    » read more »

Project will assist 17-county region of both states

02/21/2008, WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor today announced a $250,000 Regional Innovation Grant to Minnesota to align economic development resources and establish structured economic strategies that create common goals for the 17-county region of northeast Minnesota and northwest Wisconsin.    » read more »

Quad States project will focus on transportation and logistics sector

02/21/2008, WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor today announced a $250,000 Regional Innovation Grant to Missouri to establish talent development strategies in the Quad States region, which includes southwest Missouri, northwest Arkansas, southeast Kansas and northeast Oklahoma.    » read more »