SECRETARY OF LABOR SOLIS'S STATEMENT ON LABOR DAY

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Statement on Labor Day by Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis

WASHINGTON — Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis issued the following statement today to commemorate Labor Day on Sept. 3:

"On the first Monday of September, we honor the workers who built the world's strongest economy. This Labor Day, as the U.S. Department of Labor approaches our centennial celebration, I take extra pride in the historic efforts of today's workers to drive our recovery by learning new skills and adapting to new challenges.

"For more than two centuries, the prospect of work has drawn people to our shores to pursue new opportunities and dreams of a better life. The demands on our workers have changed over the generations, but we've always risen to the occasion.

"During the Industrial Age, factory workers saw their knowledge and paychecks grow as they mastered new processes to mass produce everything from automobiles to armaments. Following the Great Depression, more than 6 million women joined the workforce, clocking in at shipyards, lumber mills and foundries, and their production helped us win the Great War. And the Internet age carried the talents of our workers across the globe, as our ideas and products reached new markets and brought the world closer together.

"As I mark my fourth Labor Day as the nation's secretary of labor, I'm inspired by job seekers from all walks of life in this country going back to school and upgrading their skills to match the demands of a 21st century global economy. I'm impressed by communities coming together and new partnerships being formed among employers, labor unions and community colleges. And I'm reminded that for this federal agency and this administration, Labor Day has been, and will always be, every single day.

LABOR SECRETARY REMARKS ON JUNE UNEMPLOYMENT NUMBERS

FROM:  U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
Statement by Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis on June employment numbers
WASHINGTON — Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis issued the following statement on the June 2012 Employment Situation report released today:
“Our nation’s labor market added 80,000 jobs in the month of June, while the unemployment rate remained unchanged at 8.2 percent.

“We have seen 28 straight months of private sector job growth, during which time our economy has added back close to 4.4 million private sector jobs, with nearly one million jobs added this year. We have added an average of 150,000 private sector jobs per month in 2012, continuing at the same steady pace as last year and with jobs being created across all sectors and regions of the country. Gross domestic product growth has now been positive for 11 consecutive quarters. We remain on a path toward stable and durable growth.

“We continue to face headwinds from the threat of recession in Europe, our largest trading partner. Though less demand from across the ocean could present challenges for our exporters as they work to create jobs here at home, U.S. exports to the European Union in the first quarter of the year were at the highest level since 1997. Also, fortunately, there are signs that European leaders are moving away from an austerity approach and toward stabilization and growth strategies that will have a positive impact on our own recovery and ease concerns at home.

“I’m encouraged by several developments here at home that will reduce uncertainty and help put more Americans back to work. Passage of a bipartisan highway bill shows Congress can work together to boost hiring in the construction sector. Approval of student loan relief will help more people finish their education and get the skills to make them employable in today’s competitive labor market. And the Supreme Court’s health care ruling will allow businesses to plan long-term strategies that will lead to more healthy workers who are critical to a healthy economy.

“This administration continues to work to promote the return of good jobs back to American communities. As wages spike in countries like China, more companies are discovering a cost advantage of bringing manufacturing jobs back to the United States. That’s why it’s so important for Congress to encourage this in-sourcing trend and pass legislation to provide incentives for companies to bring jobs home and embrace the ‘Made in the USA’ label.

“While the private sector is creating jobs and corporate profits have never been higher, a big drag on our economy is the continued layoffs of teachers, firefighters and police officers. We should embrace the president’s proposal to put these Americans back to work, while giving additional tax cuts to small businesses that are key contributors to job creation.”

BALDOR ELECTRIC TO PAY $2 MILLION TO SETTLE ALLEGED DISCRIMINATION CASE

FROM:  U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
Baldor Electric to pay $2 million to settle hiring discrimination case with US Labor Department
Agreement includes back wages and interest, some job offers, for 795 female and minority applicants denied positions at Fort Smith, Ark., facility

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs today announced that Baldor Electric Co. has agreed to settle allegations of systemic discrimination stemming from the company's applicant screening process at its facility in Fort Smith, Ark. OFCCP investigators determined that the process violated Executive Order 11246 by creating a disparate impact on women and minorities. As a result, 795 qualified women, African-Americans and job seekers of Asian and Hispanic descent were denied the opportunity to advance to the interview stage when applying for production and laborer positions.

"I am pleased with this settlement, which reflects a mutual commitment between the Department of Labor and the leadership of Baldor to ensure that all workers have a fair and equal shot at competing for good jobs," said Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis. "Our shared goal is to create lasting change so that anyone who comes looking for work at Baldor can be sure that discrimination will never be a factor in determining who gets the job."

Under the terms of the conciliation agreement negotiated by OFCCP, Baldor will pay a total of $2 million in back wages and interest to the affected individuals and will make at least 50 job offers to members of the original class as positions become available. The company also has agreed to undertake extensive self-monitoring measures to ensure that all hiring practices fully comply with the law, including record-keeping requirements.

"Discrimination is preventable when employers have certain processes in place and see to it that they are followed," said OFCCP Director Patricia A. Shiu. "That's why it's so important for federal contractors to implement their affirmative action programs, keep accurate employment records and commit to ending barriers to fair employment. A proactive strategy is the best way to guarantee that all workers have an equal opportunity to succeed in the workplace. Plus, it's the law."

Baldor Electric, which is owned by Zurich, Switzerland-based ABB Ltd., manufactures industrial motors and generators. The company currently holds federal contracts worth more than $18 million with the General Services Administration and the U.S. departments of Veterans Affairs and Justice. From 1997 to 2010, Baldor received $79 million to produce batteries and generators for federal agencies including GSA, the Justice Department and the Army.

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR ISSUES GUIDANCE ON "WORK SHARING" COMPENSATION

Picture:  Labor Day Celebration In New York City in 1882.  Credit:  Wikimedia.
FROM:  U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
US Labor Department announces guidance to state Unemployment Insurance agencies on implementing short-time compensation or ‘work sharing’

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor today announced guidance to state agencies responsible for Unemployment Insurance regarding short-time compensation, commonly referred to as "work sharing." Today's announcement is the latest in a series of innovative reforms to the UI program made possible by the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012 signed by President Obama in February.

"Work sharing is a win-win for workers and employers," said Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis. "This program will provide more flexibility to workers and employers so they may more efficiently and effectively weather the ups and downs of the economy."

Work sharing allows employees to keep their jobs and helps employers to avoid laying off their trained workforces during economic downturns by reducing the hours of work for an entire group of affected workers. Workers affected by reduced hours can have their wages compensated with a portion of their weekly unemployment compensation payments.

The guidance issued today provides detailed information about a new federal definition of short-time compensation — which includes more worker protections such as maintenance of health insurance and retirement benefits — as well as how states currently operating short-time compensation programs can transition to the new definition. The guidance also provides information to states that already have permanent short-time compensation programs on how to begin receiving 100 percent federal reimbursement of payments made by state programs.

The Labor Department will issue additional guidance to address other aspects of short-time compensation found in the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012, including a two-year federal initiative to enable states to quickly implement and try out short-time compensation programs; and the provision of approximately $100 million in grants to states for the implementation or improved administration of, or for promotion of and enrollment in, a short-time compensation program. The department also is developing model legislative language, to be provided in the near future, that will assist states in amending their laws so they can adopt short-time compensation programs.

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR TO GIVE OUT OVER $20 MILLION IN GRANTS TO PUT FORMER INMATES BACK TO WORK

Photo Credit:  Wikimedia.
FROM:  U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
US Labor Department announces $20.5 million in grants to support, help ensure success of formerly incarcerated adults returning to work in their communities

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor today announced grants totaling $20,518,598 to 18 nonprofit organizations across the country to fund employment-related services for formerly incarcerated adults who are returning to high-poverty, high-crime communities. These grants represent the fifth round of funding under the department's Reintegration of Ex-Offenders-Adult program, through which more than $98 million has been awarded to date.

"A strong support network is the key for formerly incarcerated individuals to successfully transition back to their communities," said Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis. "The federal grants announced today will help to establish this network, while also providing job training to ensure long-term stability and success."

Grantees will use the funds to provide occupational training that leads to credentials in high-demand industries; mentoring; and assistance in connecting formerly incarcerated adults with supportive services such as housing, substance abuse programs and mental health treatment.

In 2010, nearly 709,000 people were released from state and federal prisons, an increase of almost 20 percent from 2002. Research indicates that, without assistance to make a successful transition, the majority of former offenders return to criminal activity. This program aims to break that cycle.

SECRETARY OF LABOR SPEAKS ON EQUAL PAY FOR WOMEN

FROM: DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
Statement by Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis on Equal Pay Day

WASHINGTON — Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis today issued the following statement regarding Equal Pay Day:

"It has been nearly half a century since the Equal Pay Act was signed to abolish wage discrimination on the basis of sex. In that time, women from all walks of life have demonstrated extraordinary leadership, patriotism, scientific and artistic vision, and great personal sacrifice — both at home and in the workplace. Still, women continue to earn less than men. As a nation, we continue to work toward the fundamental promise of equal pay for equal work.

"Today, on Equal Pay Day, we reflect on the challenges that millions of women — particularly those of color, single mothers and women with disabilities — continue to face in securing the pay they deserve.

"Women now make up nearly half of the nation's workforce, and 60 percent of all women work full time. In almost two-thirds of families led by single mothers or two parents, mothers are either the primary or co-breadwinner. Pay equity is not simply a question of fairness; it is an economic imperative with serious implications not just for women, but for their families, their communities and our nation. Moreover, when women start at a disadvantage, they stay there.

"Next year will mark the 100th anniversary of the Department of Labor. We will recognize the achievements of our past and look to a future committed to increasing incomes and education, eliminating wage and income inequality, and putting more women on a path into the middle class.

"Closing the pay gap requires closing the information gap. For more than 90 years, our Women's Bureau has been instrumental in this important effort for women, most recently by hosting a series of dialogues across the country to make sure women are educated about their worth and empowered to advocate for it. We're also working with researchers, experts and the brightest minds in the field of Web technology to create new tools that will make useful information about wages readily accessible to workers.

"Additionally, for more than 45 years now, our Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs has been building a strong record of identifying and eliminating gender-based discrimination for federal contractors. Last year, this office successfully resolved 134 cases of employment discrimination affecting women and minorities, resulting in more than $12 million in remedies for victims of discrimination.

"I am proud of the steps we've taken to close the pay gap. But I recognize that we still have so much work to do. This Equal Pay Day, while progress has been made, let us all renew our commitment to advancing the progress of working women and their families. Let us continue to pursue pay equity with both passion and determination."

DOL CITES BUSINESSES AFTER 6 DIE AND 2 INJURED IN GRAIN ELEVATOR EXPLOSION

FROM:  U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
Bartlett Grain in Atchison, Kan., cited for willful and serious violations by US Labor Department after 6 die, 2 injured in grain elevator explosion
Contractor Kansas Grain Inspection Services also cited
ATCHISON, Kan. — Bartlett Grain Co. L.P. faces five willful and eight serious safety violations cited by the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration following an October 2011 grain elevator explosion in Atchison that killed six workers and left two others hospitalized.

The willful violations include allowing grain dust — which is nine times as explosive as coal dust — to accumulate, using compressed air to remove dust without first shutting down ignition sources, jogging (repeatedly starting and stopping) inside bucket elevators to free legs choked by grain, using electrical equipment inappropriate for the working environment and failing to require employees to use fall protection when working from heights.

"The deaths of these six workers could have been prevented had the grain elevator's operators addressed hazards that are well known in this industry," said Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis. "Bartlett Grain's disregard for the law led to a catastrophic accident and heartbreaking tragedy for the workers who were injured or killed, their families and the agricultural community."

The serious violations involve a lack of proper preventive maintenance, certification and lubrication of grain handling equipment; inadequate emergency action plan training for employees and contractors; a lack of employee and contractor training on job hazards; and a housekeeping program that was deficient because it did not prevent grain dust accumulations.
The citations to Bartlett Grain, which is based in Kansas City, Mo., carry $406,000 in proposed fines.

Topeka-based Kansas Grain Inspection Services Inc., a contractor employed by Bartlett Grain, also is being cited for one willful violation involving a lack of fall protection for employees working on the top of rail cars; one serious violation, the lack of a hazard communication program; and one other-than-serious violation, not providing basic advisory information about respirators to employees. These violations carry total proposed penalties of $67,500.

"OSHA standards save lives, but only if companies comply with them," said Dr. David Michaels, assistant secretary of labor for occupational safety and health. "Bartlett Grain has shown what happens when basic safety standards are ignored, and this agency simply will not tolerate needless loss of life."

A willful violation is one committed with intentional knowing or voluntary disregard for the law's requirements, or with plain indifference to worker safety and health. A serious violation occurs when there is substantial probability that death or serious physical harm could result from a hazard about which the employer knew or should have known. An other-than-serious violation is one that has a direct relationship to job safety and health, but probably would not cause death or serious physical harm.

Over the past 35 years, there have been more than 500 explosions in grain handling facilities across the United States that have killed more than 180 people and injured more than 675. Grain dust is the main source of fuel for explosions in grain handling. This dust is highly combustible and can burn or explode if enough becomes airborne or accumulates on a surface and finds an ignition source (such as a hot bearing, overheated motor or misaligned conveyor belt, as well as heat or sparks from welding, cutting and brazing operations). OSHA standards require that both grain dust and ignition sources be controlled in grain elevators to prevent potentially deadly explosions.

Both companies have 15 business days from receipt of the citations and penalties to comply, request an informal conference with OSHA's area director in Wichita, or contest the findings before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.

U.S. LABOR SECRETARY MAKES REMARKS ON MARCH EMPLOYMENT NUMBERS

Statement by Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis on March employment numbers

WASHINGTON — Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis issued the following statement on the March 2012 Employment Situation report released today:

"Our nation's labor market added 121,000 private sector jobs in the month of March, while the unemployment rate fell to 8.2 percent.

"For 25 consecutive months, we've registered private sector job growth. Some months we are seeing tremendous job gains, while other months we are seeing more modest gains. But the trend line is clear: Our economy is growing, and our recovery is durable.

"Since this president took office, we've added more than 4 million jobs to an economy that was bleeding 800,000 a month under the last administration. That's a noteworthy achievement.

"We've added nearly half a million manufacturing jobs since February 2010. This week, major U.S. carmakers announced that their U.S. sales rose last month to the highest level in at least four years.  When President Obama took office, the U.S. auto industry was on the verge of collapse. Since he bet big on the American autoworker, the industry has seen a complete turnaround, adding more than 230,000 jobs since the summer of 2009.

"However, the fact that some Americans are still leaving the labor force shows that we cannot rest on our laurels and expect to coast our way back to prosperity. This administration continues to fight for programs that will support and train our youth and displaced workers. Our recovery will only be as lasting as our commitment to the American worker. Now that the country is on a steady path toward recovery, we need to invest in community colleges and job training programs that prepare our workers for 21st century jobs."