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|  Each week, this space will bring you the best from our (Work in Progress) blog. • Amalia Shoots... She Scores!: Secretary Perez reflects on how important it has been to have the flexibility to balance his career with involvement in his children's lives but writes that there is more to do to extend that same opportunity to the many workers — in retail or in hospitality or at a call center — who don't have this flexibility. • Unemployment Challenges for AAPI Workers: Assistant Secretary of Labor for Employment and Training Portia Wu completes a series of analyses of the employment statistics of Asian-American and Pacific Islander communities featured on the blog during AAPI Heritage Month. • It's Getting Hot Out There: Preparing for Summer Heat Can Save Lives: Memorial Day marked the unofficial start of summer and, with it, steadily rising temperatures. Here, Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health Dr. David Michaels reminds us that for some, the summer heat can be deadly. |
|  Heading to the Beach?
Bring Along Some 'Work' To mark the start of the summer reading season, the department has added 10 new books — all recommended by the public — to our Books that Shaped Work in America project. Each book selection is related to the work that the department undertakes to promote opportunity and protect workers, and the list is a great way to learn more about that work. Whether you prefer the mildewy comfort of a cracking paperback spine or the bright high-tech glitz of the latest e-reader or tablet, the list is a perfect departure point for your literary travels. • Read the Blog Post
• Books that Shaped Work in America |
|  This week's term is NAICS, which stands for North American Industry Classification System. Used by governmental organizations across the country as well as in Canada and Mexico, the NAICS system provides a standard for classifying businesses in more than 1,100 industries, allowing for greater precision in the collection and analysis of economic enforcement data. • Learn About NAICS
• See All the A-Z Terms |
| | Facebook Networking While visiting Facebook headquarters in California on May 27, Secretary Perez sat down for a live "Facebook Q&A" to answer questions from the public on the department's priorities, such as equal pay, ensuring all workers — including people with disabilities — have the skills to succeed, the importance of increasing the minimum wage, unemployment insurance benefits and where to find help when dealing with concerns about dubious pay practices. Weren't able to join? Check out a recap of the chat on his Facebook page. • View the Secretary's Facebook Page
• View the Slideshow |
| | Native American Employment A meeting of the Native American Employment and Training Council convened at department headquarters in Washington, D.C., on May 29, one day after the election of a new chair, Darrell Waldron. The council advises Secretary Perez on the operation and administration of the Native American programs through the Workforce Investment Act. Perez dropped by the meeting to congratulate Waldron on his election and thank council members for their work on behalf of Native Americans. Representatives from the Employment and Training Administration and the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs also participated in the council meeting, sharing information about increasing access to training programs and ensuring that members of this community are being afforded equal opportunity in the federal contracting workforce. • View the Slideshow |
| | Preparing for the World of Work Seek out opportunities to learn about your career interests. That was one message Assistant Secretary of Labor for Disability Employment Policy Kathy Martinez delivered to middle school students at a May 22 event hosted by the Hispanic National Bar Association's Latina Commission Pipeline Program. The event, in Arlington, Va., was designed to educate and inspire Hispanic students interested in studying law. Martinez shared her experiences as a Latina, growing up with a disability and pursuing employment. She emphasized the value of high expectations and inclusion, saying: "I bet you wouldn't be in this room today if someone didn't foster your high expectations. So when you're in a position to hire, consider giving someone with a disability a chance!" • Learn About Career Exploration |
| | TV Show Features Job Corps Roxanne Chin, the director of the Potomac Job Corps Center in Washington, D.C., along with center graduate Nicole Baker, were invited to talk about the program's benefits recently during the taping of a segment of MSNBC's "Politics Nation With Al Sharpton." Baker, a single mother, said that "Job Corps changed my life," and recounted how her training at Potomac as a pharmacy technician lead to her being hired by a drug store chain. Chin said the program each year "touches the lives" of 60,000 students at 125 Job Corps Centers nationwide. • Watch the Interview |
| | Recovery Grant for Arkansas Arkansas has been awarded a $771,218 National Emergency Grant to address the extensive damage caused by severe storms, tornados and flooding that occurred on April 27. "A major tornado tore through Arkansas in late April, turning the lives of those affected upside down," said Portia Wu, assistant secretary of labor for employment and training. The funding will help the state hire temporary workers to assist in cleanup and recovery. Workers dislocated as a result of the disastrous weather, as well as the long-term unemployed and other eligible dislocated workers, may be placed in cleanup and recovery jobs. • Read the News Release |
| | Funds for Laid-Off Workers Two National Emergency Grants were awarded to assist approximately 650 workers affected by a series of layoffs in Idaho. Approximately $2.6 million will be available to assist 435 workers who lost their jobs as a result of the closure of J.R. Simplot Co. facilities that took place from August 2013 to April 2014. A second grant of $1,603,926 was awarded to assist 219 workers affected by the March 31 closure of the Center Partners call center, located in Idaho Falls. Career guidance, case management, job search assistance, on-the-job training and other skills training opportunities will be available to the laid-off workers. • Read the News Release |
| | Training for Future Success Terry Gerton, the Veterans' Employment and Training Service deputy assistant secretary for policy, toured the Army's Combined Arms Support Command training center in Fort Lee, Va., on May 20. The center provides training and credentialing initiatives to give service members a career boost in the civilian sector. Gerton toured the culinary school where service members earn accreditation as chefs, and she reviewed trades courses, which instruct personnel in welding and machining skills. Emphasizing the close working relationship between her department and the military, Gerton also noted how the Bureau of Labor Statistics' data is critical to research conducted by the Army in helping veterans transition to civilian employment. |
| | Immigrant Worker Pacts The Wage and Hour Division and Occupational Safety and Health Administration gathered in Phoenix on May 27 to renew workplace protection agreements with the Mexican Consulates in Arizona. Representatives from the consulates in Phoenix, Tucson, Yuma, Nogales and Douglas also participated. Following the signing ceremony, the division's district director, Eric Murray, and OSHA's area director, Zachary Barnett, joined a panel discussion along with consular officials. The Mexican Consulate in Phoenix signed a similar agreement with the National Labor Relations Board. "Workers in this country have rights, regardless of the color of their skin, gender, national origin or immigration status," noted Phoenix Consul General Roberto Rodríguez Hernández. • View the Slideshow |
| | Coal Dust Rule Outreach Nearly 150 mining industry stakeholders gathered in Evansville, Ind., on May 29 for a meeting on implementation of the recent coal mine dust rule. Sponsored by the Mine Safety and Health Administration, the workshop — one of six being held in coal mining regions around the country — is geared toward educating mine operators and miners on the rule to lower miners' exposure to respirable coal mine dust. The rule goes into effect on Aug. 1, and represents MSHA's continuing efforts to end black lung disease among the nation's coal miners. |
| | Weekly UI Claims The department reported that the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial Unemployment Insurance claims was 300,000 for the week ending May 24, a decrease of 27,000 from the previous week's revised level. The four-week moving average was 311,500, down 11,250 from the previous week's revised average. • Read the News Release |
| | Upcoming Deadlines & Events Open Funding Opportunities EBSA — Getting It Right: Know Your Fiduciary Responsibilities Seminar • June 3 — Hartford, CT
• June 17 — Germantown, TN EBSA — Health Benefits Laws Compliance Assistance Seminar • June 17 — Denver, CO
• June 18 — Denver, CO OFCCP — Affirmative Action Programs: Creating an Inclusive Workplace • June 17 — Birmingham, AL
• June 17 — Jackson, MS OFCCP — Construction Evaluation • June 11 — Chicago, IL OFCCP — Everything You Want to Know About Adverse Impact • June 11 — Orange, CA OFCCP — Good Faith Efforts, Exceptional Results • June 5 — Omaha, NE OFCCP — Introduction to the New Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act Regulations • June 4 — Portland, OR OFCCP — Introduction to the New VEVRAA Act of 1974 Regulations • June 5 — Memphis, TN
• June 11 — Portland, OR
• June 11 — Dallas, TX OFCCP — What to Expect During an OFCCP Audit • June 10 — Houston, TX
• June 17 — Atlanta, GA WHD — Emphasis on wage requirements for workers under Section 14(c) of the FLSA Seminar • June 5 — Danbury, CT
• June 11 — Santa Fe, NM WHD — Prevailing Wage Seminar • June 3 — Atlanta, GA
• June 4 — Atlanta, GA
• June 5 — Atlanta, GA |
| | Follow @USDOL on  Tweets by @USDOL | | | What's New Supporting Working Families and Expanding Opportunity  | "Nobody in this country who works a full-time job should have to live in poverty," said U.S. Secretary of Labor Thomas E. Perez in San Francisco on May 27. Perez spoke at a forum on working families hosted by the White House, the Women's Bureau and the Center for American Progress. It is one of several regional events leading up to the White House Summit on Working Families on June 23. Perez joined San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee; U.S. Reps. Nancy Pelosi, Mike Honda, Jackie Speier and Jared Huffman; CAP President Neera Tanden, and others in highlighting the challenges faced by working families. Speakers and panel participants discussed possible solutions, including access to affordable child care, paid leave and higher wages. Noting that the federal minimum wage has lost purchasing power, Perez argued that it should be raised to $10.10 per hour. "It's a false choice that we either grow our economy or we help our families," Perez said. "We can do both." • Learn About the Upcoming Summit
• View the Slideshow
• Read Secretary Perez's Blog Post
• Read the Secretary's Remarks Powerful Testimonies From the Long-term Unemployed  | "Every day is a battle not to feel invisible." This is just one of the many quietly powerful statements that Secretary Perez heard when he visited the Eisenhower Executive Office Building at the White House on May 23 for a discussion with 14 workers who have been unemployed for six months or more. Perez was joined by National Economic Council Director and Assistant to the President for Economic Policy Jeffrey Zients and Deputy Assistant Secretary of Labor for Employment and Training Eric Seleznow for the discussion, where he asked the workers to recount their experiences and share their ideas on what more the department can do to help workers like them get back on the job. The conversation was intimate and emotional, but it also provided Perez and Zients with practical ideas for moving forward. As the department continues to fight to promote opportunity and help the long-term unemployed get back on their feet, Perez explained why these meetings are so valuable to him. "I always learn things," he said. "We learn from the journeys. We learn from the high moments. We learn from the low moments." • View the Slideshow 'Our Goal Is Job-Driven Training'  | To highlight how the Cypress Mandela Training Center is helping expand opportunities for workers and strengthening the pipeline of talent that the trades industry needs in order to grow, Secretary Perez and Rep. Barbara Lee traveled to Oakland, Calif., on May 27. The center's training offerings include classroom and hands-on instruction in a variety of areas — applied math, cement and iron work, job safety, plumbing, and solar installation. During his visit, Perez met with students and industry leaders to discuss workforce needs in the Oakland area. He highlighted how partnerships exemplified by this training center are successfully connecting ready-to-work Americans with ready-to-be-filled jobs. The Oakland center has received local and national recognition and has established itself as a model pre-apprenticeship construction training center. "Absolutely essential to the opportunity agenda is ensuring that our people have the skills to succeed in 21st century jobs," Perez said. "This is one of the administration's very highest priorities. Our goal is job-driven training. And perhaps, no training program or strategy does that as effectively as apprenticeships." • View the Slideshow |
| | National News Safety Pays, Falls Cost: Nationwide Stand-down Launched  | Falls are the leading cause of death and injury in the construction industry. To prevent these types of accidents, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration is launching the 2014 Fall Safety Stand-down from June 2-6. OSHA is working with an unprecedented number of employers, workers, industry groups and civic and faith-based organizations to pause work during the week, host sessions and raise awareness about fall hazards, safety and prevention. Throughout the week, more than a million workers and 25,000 businesses are expected to participate in events across the country. "Falls account for more than a third of all deaths in the construction industry," said Dr. David Michaels, assistant secretary of labor for occupational safety and health. "One fall can cost an employer their business, and a worker their life. Every person participating in these events is showing a desire and commitment to preventing a senseless loss of life and livelihood." The stand-down is part of OSHA's ongoing Fall Prevention Campaign, which began in 2012 and was developed in partnership with the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. • Read More About the Stand-down
• See a Calendar of Public Events
• Learn About the Fall Prevention Campaign
• Watch a Video of Secretary Perez on the Stand-down
• Join the Conversation on Twitter by Using #StandDown4Safety and Tagging @USDOL At Job Centers, Veterans 'Go to the Front of the Line'  | Veterans get "priority of service" at the nation's 2,500 American Job Centers, where their skills, abilities and employment needs are assessed and they are connected to a much broader network of benefits and social services. That's the message Secretary Perez delivered on May 28 at the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans Annual Conference in Washington, D.C. Perez called his agency "the Department of Opportunity," providing the "tools and resources that allow people to live out their highest and best dreams." He said that veterans "go to the front of the line" in receiving employment and training help because they have sacrificed so much in defense of the country, and now "we need to give them their share of reward and prosperity." In addition, Perez talked about one of the issues that keeps him up the most at night — the struggles of the long-term unemployed. He discussed how we must do everything we can to help the long-term unemployed because through no fault of their own, they were in the wrong place at the wrong time and can no longer find a job. Perez also noted that the department's Veterans' Employment and Training Service has provided the coalition and other advocacy programs with $38 million in grants to help fund job training, counseling and placement services to expedite the reintegration of homeless veterans into the labor force. States to Receive Disability Employment Funding Approximately $15 million in grants is now available to state workforce agencies to develop flexible and innovative strategies to increase the participation of people with disabilities in career pathways programs. The grants are available through the Disability Employment Initiative, a joint program of the Employment and Training Administration and the Office of Disability Employment Policy. "People with disabilities have enormous contributions to make to our economy, and they are still disproportionately represented among the unemployed," said Secretary Perez. "These grants will help ensure that these workers have better access to training programs that lead to good jobs and economic self-sufficiency." To date, the department has awarded, through four rounds of funding, more than $81 million to 26 projects. The deadline to apply is July 8. • Read the News Release
• Learn More About the DEI |
| | International Scene German Ambassador, Labor Secretary Discuss Apprenticeships, Skills  | The Obama administration has set a goal of doubling the number of apprenticeships in the United States by the year 2020. Currently, there are 360,000 apprentices here, while Germany, with one-quarter the population of the United States, has more than 1.8 million apprentices. On May 28, Secretary Perez met with the newly appointed German ambassador, Peter Wittig, to discuss skills training and international cooperation. Germany's successful vocational training system is often considered to be an international model, and the German embassy leads a "Skills Initiative" in the United States that brings together businesses, workers and local training institutes. Perez and Wittig confirmed their interest in collaborating more closely on the initiative and exploring models for creating successful apprentice programs. They also agreed to share information on labor market developments and successful policies to address youth and long-term unemployment. • Learn About Apprenticeships |
| | News You Can Use Are You Ready for Hurricane Season? The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National Weather Service has kicked off National Hurricane Preparedness Week. NOAA's outreach efforts aim to educate the public about its vulnerability to hurricane hazards and ways to reduce the effects of a hurricane disaster. Hurricane hazards come in many forms, including heavy rainfall, storm surges, inland flooding, high winds, tornadoes and rip currents. Having a plan in place, monitoring weather reports and knowing your evacuation route are just some of the ways to be prepared. For more information, check out the National Weather Service's Hurricane Center website or the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's hurricane preparedness and response website, which includes specific precautions for companies and workers. • View the NWS Hurricane Website
• Learn About Hurricane Preparedness From OSHA
• Read the Blog Post |
| | Around DOL Former Farmworker Donates His 'El Cortito' to Department During the 1950s, earning just 95 cents an hour, farmworker Herman C. Peña labored long hours in the fields of Salinas, Calif., with his "el cortito." The short-handled hoe was used to thin and weed long rows of lettuce, forcing farmworkers to bend and stoop while working in the fields. As a result, many of these workers became saddled with debilitating back pain and injuries. Its use was eventually abolished by Gov. Jerry Brown in 1975, thanks to the efforts of César Chávez and the United Farm Workers Union. Recently, Peña donated his el cortito for display in the Department of Labor's César Chávez Hall of Honor case. There it will serve to educate visitors about the physical and often grueling demands that once faced our nation's farmworkers and remind us how much conditions have improved. |
| | DOL Working for You Californian Finds a Future Through Youth Program Fabian Mujica spent many days withstanding 100-degree heat in California picking fruit and vegetables. Throughout those backbreaking days, he often thought, "I want to go to school and create a better future for myself." To achieve his goal, he sought help from the County of San Bernardino Workforce Investment Board, whose programs are funded by the department through the Workforce Investment Act. Mujica enrolled in the WIB's youth program, where he developed good study habits and completed enough credits to receive his high school diploma. The program also helped him gain valuable experience in computer skills, customer service, administration and telemarketing. Following a part-time paid internship with an insurance company, Mujica accepted a part-time job as a retail assistant in a local shopping mall. His future plans include going to college or joining the U.S. military. • Learn About the Workforce Investment Act |
| | DOL in Action Court Orders Back Wages for Employees at Two California Restaurants The department has obtained a court judgment ordering China Wok Express in Whittier, Calif., and Golden Wok Fried Chicken in Los Angeles to pay $172,264 to 11 employees in minimum wage and overtime wages due under the Fair Labor Standards Act. Several of the affected workers, including cooks and cashiers at both locations, worked between 67 to 69 hours per week on average, and often from about 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., six days per week. The judgment from the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California also orders owner Richard Huot to pay an additional $172,264 in damages to the workers. • Read the News Release Wisconsin Paper Mill Workers Exposed to Sulfur Dioxide Vapors Flambeau River Papers has been cited by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration for failing to protect workers from hazards associated with exposure to sulfur dioxide at the Park Falls, Wis., paper mill. Sulfur dioxide is used to treat wood pulp for paper manufacturing and can cause numerous adverse effects to the respiratory tract when vapors are inhaled. OSHA, which opened the inspection in January under the National Emphasis Program for chemicals, cited eight violations, carrying proposed penalties of $42,300. • Read the News Release Utility Subcontractor Debarred in Arizona Over Payroll Records The department has recovered $198,085 in back wages for 23 workers employed by Glendale, Ariz.,-based Tierra Contracting Inc. for willful violations of the Davis-Bacon and Related Acts and the Contract Work Hours and Safety Standards Act. Tierra Contracting and its owner, Richard Suarez Sr., also have been debarred from applying for federally funded contracts for a period of three years because of the egregious nature of the violations. Investigators in Phoenix established that Tierra Contracting failed to pay the required prevailing wage rates and fringe benefits to power equipment operators, water truck drivers, pipe layers, grade setters and laborers working at the Northern Parkway highway project in Maricopa County. Tierra Contracting routinely submitted certified payroll records that did not accurately reflect the real hours worked by the affected employees. • Read the News Release Sandblasting Company Exposed Workers to Silica Outdoor Furniture Refinishing Inc., doing business as Allied Powder Coating, has been cited by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration for 15 serious health and safety violations with a proposed fine of $55,440. OSHA cited the sandblasting and powder coating company for exposing workers to toxic chemicals, including silica, beyond established occupational limits. In February, OSHA initiated an inspection at the company's Houston facility under its Regional Emphasis Program on Safety and Health Hazards in the Manufacture of Fabricated Metal Products. Excessive exposure to crystalline silica can lead to lung cancer, silicosis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and kidney disease. • Read the News Release Postal Union in Indiana to Hold New Election National Association of Letter Carriers Branch 116, in Fort Wayne, Ind., recently agreed to conduct a new election for president, vice president and one trustee under the supervision of the Office of Labor-Management Standards. An OLMS investigation of the December 2013 election disclosed that the union failed to comply with a reasonable request to distribute campaign literature; broke NALC regulations when observers were not notified that undelivered ballot packages would be picked up from a post office box; placed improper restrictions on observers during the vote tally; improperly counted ballots returned from unidentified individuals, and failed to maintain election tally sheets. The election must take place by Aug. 30. Mine Safety Spotlight on Texas Plant A specially targeted inspection by the Mine Safety and Health Administration yielded 34 enforcement actions against Alcoa World Alumina LLC's Bayer Alumina Plant in Calhoun County, Texas, recently. Among the hazardous conditions found at Bayer Alumina were the operator's failure to provide safety chains or other suitable locking devices connecting high-pressure hose lines, which created a potential hazard for flying material; and failure to maintain guards on various pumps, which exposed miners to potentially disabling injuries from moving machine parts. Last month, MSHA conducted impact inspections at 12 coal mines and four metal and nonmetal mines. Since April 2010, MSHA has conducted 755 impact inspections and issued 12,269 citations, 1,124 orders and 51 safeguards. • Read the News Release Fatal Fall at Texas Football Stadium Leads to Citations Lindamood Demolition Inc. and Texas Cutting & Coring were cited by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration following the death of a skid-steer loader operator during the redevelopment of the Kyle Field Stadium at Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas. OSHA's December 2013 investigation found that the Lindamood employee was operating a skid-steer loader to support a 3,340-pound concrete stub while a Texas Cutting & Coring employee used a circular saw to cut the stub from its support column. The stub caused the skid-steer to be overloaded, and it tipped over a ramp wall, falling more than 70 feet to the ground. The loader operator was ejected from the skid-steer when the machine struck a horizontal beam during its fall. The employee died when he fell four stories to the ground. • Read the News Release Chicago Company Again Cited for Trench Violations For the second time this year, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration has cited Pan-Oceanic Engineering Co. Inc. for trenching hazards at a Chicago jobsite. OSHA cited the company for willful violations for failing to protect workers from trench cave-ins while installing water and sewer lines in November 2013. Proposed penalties total $147,000. OSHA opened the inspection under the National Emphasis Program for trenching and excavation. The company was placed in the Severe Violator Enforcement Program in January for failing to adhere to trenching standards. • Read the News Release | | | | Previous Issues | Follow us on Twitter | Subscribe | Send Feedback | Unsubscribe | | U.S. Department of Labor, Frances Perkins Building, 200 Constitution Ave., NW, Washington, DC 20210
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