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Showing posts from August, 2023

Department of Labor will celebrate benefits of Registered Apprenticeships as valuable pathway to good jobs during first Youth Apprenticeship Week

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Department of Labor will celebrate benefits of Registered Apprenticeships as valuable pathway to good jobs during first Youth Apprenticeship Week WASHINGTON – The Department of Labor today announced that the nation will celebrate the benefits of Registered Apprenticeships and the opportunities they create for youth and young adults with 320 special events and more than 70 proclamations scheduled across the U.S. to mark the first annual Youth Apprenticeship Week from May 5-11. Built on the success of National Apprenticeship Week, Youth Apprenticeship Week will give employers, unions, educators, state agencies, workforce partners, community-based organizations and other Registered Apprenticeship sponsors the opportunity to showcase their programs and successes in youth apprenticeships. The annual commemoration also offers youth apprentices a platform on which they can share their apprenticeship experiences and educate the public about the benefits of local youth apprenticeship programs.
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READOUT: Department of Labor joins Boston ironworkers for roundtable discussion on importance of mental health in the construction trades

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READOUT: Department of Labor joins Boston ironworkers for roundtable discussion on importance of mental health in the construction trades BOSTON – Leaders of the U.S. Department of Labor convened yesterday in Boston for a roundtable discussion on the importance of mental health friendly workplaces, particularly in the building trades. The event was held at the Iron Workers Local 7 Union Hall. The discussion highlighted the union local’s practices to promote workers’ mental health, part of the administration’s national strategy to transform mental health care and address the nation’s mental health care crisis. The roundtable also included leaders from New England-area unions and members, building contractors, and experts in substance use disorders and their prevention and treatment. The department’s Deputy Chief of Staff John Towle, Assistant Secretary for Occupational Safety and Health Doug Parker, Principal Deputy Secretary for Employee Benefits Security Ali Khawar and Assistant Secr
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Colorado contractor awaits sentencing on manslaughter charge after failing to protect employees in 2021 trench collapse that killed 23-year-old worker

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Colorado contractor awaits sentencing on manslaughter charge after failing to protect employees in 2021 trench collapse that killed 23-year-old worker BRECKENRIDGE, CO – The owner of an Avon construction company whose failure to follow required federal safety standards led to the 2021 trench collapse death of a 23-year-old employee in Breckenridge now awaits a November sentencing date after pleading guilty to manslaughter on Aug. 3, 2023. The plea follows a criminal referral by the U.S. Department of Labor after Peter Dillon and his now defunct company, A4S LLC refused to require the use of proper safety equipment to protect his workers. The refusal contributed to a trench collapse in which a company employee, Marlon Diaz, suffered fatal injuries as he installed a residential sewer line. After an investigation of the incident by the department’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration, A4S LLC received three willful citations in May 2022 for not ensuring the excavation was inspe
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Federal investigators find Texas contractor exposed employees to struck-by hazards that led to crane collapse, employee’s death

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Federal investigators find Texas contractor exposed employees to struck-by hazards that led to crane collapse, employee’s death AUBREY, TX – A federal workplace safety investigation has found that a Farmersville construction contractor could have prevented the loss of a 23-year-old employee by following required safety procedures for operating a mobile crane at an Aubrey work site. Investigators with the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration learned that the worker and other employees of S&D Erectors Inc. were constructing a metal building when the crane collapsed in March 2023. The agency determined the company exposed its employees to struck-by hazards by overloading the crane beyond its weight limitations. OSHA cited the company for four willful violations related to: Not using temporary alternative measures when the load and radius cell did not work. Operating a mobile crane in excess of its rated capacity. Requiring the crane operator to ope
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Department of Labor orders Vermont agricultural equipment company to reinstate employee fired for raising environmental concerns

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Department of Labor orders Vermont agricultural equipment company to reinstate employee fired for raising environmental concerns BOSTON – In early June 2022, an employee of a Vermont company that sells and services agricultural equipment observed their employer pumping wastewater from the facility’s service bays onto the ground bordering the Winooski River in Berlin. The employee reported their concerns about the potential harm to the river, first to supervisors and then to the state’s Department of Environmental Conservation. Shortly after, Champlain Valley Equipment fired the employee and the worker filed a whistleblower complaint with the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration. After its investigation, OSHA determined that the company’s actions violated the whistleblower provisions of the Safe Drinking Water Act and the Federal Water Pollution Control Act and ordered Champlain Valley Equipment to reinstate the employee to their former position. The
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US Department of Labor awards $1.3M grant to State of Illinois to accelerate gender equity, inclusion in infrastructure workforce

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US Department of Labor awards $1.3M grant to State of Illinois to accelerate gender equity, inclusion in infrastructure workforce WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced the award of a $1.3 million grant to the State of Illinois and Chicago Women in Trades to support the creation of equity plans and their adoption and increase women’s inclusion and equity in construction industry jobs. Funds will also allow Illinois to evaluate state and local workforce development programs for diversifying the clean energy and construction workforce. Acting Secretary of Labor Julie Su and Gov. JB Pritzker made the announcement in Chicago. They were joined by the department’s Women’s Bureau Director Wendy Chun-Hoon.  “To build an economy from the bottom up and the middle out, we need a workforce that brings in all of America and this grant and others like it help to do just that,” said Acting Secretary of Labor Julie Su. “The Department of Labor is working closely with our partners a
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Contractor’s safety failures continue as federal inspectors find employees exposed to deadly fall hazards twice within 2 months

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Contractor’s safety failures continue as federal inspectors find employees exposed to deadly fall hazards twice within 2 months WASHINGTON, MO – Twice within two months in 2023, U.S. Department of Labor inspectors observed Cheltenham Construction Services — a contractor with a history of workplace safety violations dating back to 2015 — once again exposing employees to deadly fall hazards as they performed siding and roofing work in Lake St. Louis and O’Fallon. The department’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration conducted a February 2023 inspection in Lake St. Louis and April 2023 in O’Fallon finding the contractor allowed employees to work at heights greater than 6 feet without required fall arrest systems, safety nets or guardrails, and allowed ladders to be used improperly. In Lake St. Louis, the company failed to protect employees using pneumatic nail guns against eye and face hazards. OSHA cited the company — which operates as CCS — for two repeat and two serious viola
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US Department of Labor, Northern Marianas Technical Institute, OSHA Onsite Consultation Program align to promote safer, healthier workplaces

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US Department of Labor, Northern Marianas Technical Institute, OSHA Onsite Consultation Program align to promote safer, healthier workplaces Who:               U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration Department of Labor’s OSHA Onsite Consultation Division Northern Marianas Technical Institute What:             OSHA Safety and Health Alliance Background: OSHA, OSHA’s Onsite Consultation Division and the Northern Marianas Technical Institute have established a two-year alliance to provide the institute’s students and the public with information, guidance and training resources to help prevent and reduce worker exposure to safety and health hazards in industries throughout the commonwealth. On Aug. 20, 2023, OSHA Acting Area Director Pologa Setu, OSHA Onsite Consultation Program Manager Timothy Asaivao, and the Northern Marianas Technical Institute’s Executive Officer Jodina Attao met to formalize the program. The alliance provides a framework for informa
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Department of Labor finds cement manufacturer failed to protect employee who drowned in Mississippi River after falling from barge

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Department of Labor finds cement manufacturer failed to protect employee who drowned in Mississippi River after falling from barge NATCHEZ, MS – Federal workplace safety inspectors have determined that one of the nation’s leading cement manufacturers could have prevented a 50-year-old employee from drowning after falling from a barge into the Mississippi River in February 2023. An investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration into the fatal incident found three employees of Buzzi Unicem USA, which operates as River Cement Sales Co., boarded a barge without wearing personal floatation devices. Shortly after climbing to a second deck to repair a blocked valve, one of the workers fell head-first into the river from the barge’s side. Co-workers tried unsuccessfully to rescue their colleague and the remains weren’t recovered until nearly a month later. OSHA’s inspectors identified five serious violations by the Bethlehem, Pennsylvania-based c
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Department of Labor launches Apprentice Trailblazer initiative to promote, expand Registered Apprenticeships, increase youth employment

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Department of Labor launches Apprentice Trailblazer initiative to promote, expand Registered Apprenticeships, increase youth employment WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced the Apprentice Trailblazer initiative, which will create a national network of apprentices and apprenticeship graduates whose individual stories may inspire career seekers interested in becoming apprentices.  The initiative will also give them a platform to share their diverse stories and experiences and show how registered apprenticeships increase opportunities for underserved populations. The announcement comes on the 86th anniversary of the National Apprenticeship Act that established the Registered Apprenticeship system. “Eighty-six years ago, our country took a historic step by formalizing standards for Registered Apprenticeships, especially those related to safety, health and welfare of apprentices,” said Acting Secretary of Labor Julie Su. “Today, the Department of Labor honors that lega
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Federal inspectors again find Pennsylvania contractor exposing employees to potentially deadly fall hazards, propose $328K in penalties

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Federal inspectors again find Pennsylvania contractor exposing employees to potentially deadly fall hazards, propose $328K in penalties WILKES-BARRE, PA – Federal workplace safety inspectors have again cited a Wilkes-Barre roofing contractor for exposing employees to falls, this time as they worked on the roof of a commercial building in Honesdale. Inspectors with the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration observed employees of Avila’s Roofing LLC working at heights of up to 27 feet in February 2023 without fall protection, in violation of federal workplace safety requirements. They also learned the company had not provided employees with effective training on fall hazards and allowed them to work without eye and face protection when potential risks of eye or face injury existed. OSHA cited Avila’s Roofing for two willful and two serious safety violations and one other-than-serious violation. The violations carry $328,143 in proposed penalties. “OSHA
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Settlement upholds citations against former New York contractor who willfully exposed employees to dangers that led to fatal 2018 Brooklyn trench collapse

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Settlement upholds citations against former New York contractor who willfully exposed employees to dangers that led to fatal 2018 Brooklyn trench collapse Date of action:                       July 21, 2023 Type of action:                      Stipulated settlement agreement Names of defendants:           WSC Group LLC, 134 12th St., Brooklyn, New York Background:                          In March 2019, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration found WSC Group LLC willfully failed to provide an adequate protective system for employees working in a trench, and exposed them to other serious excavation hazards, that contributed to the death of a WSC employee in a September 2018 trench collapse in Brooklyn. The company contested OSHA’s citations before the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission. The commission case was paused while the Kings County District Attorney’s office pursued a criminal case that led to the conviction of WSC company owne
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Department of Labor to offer online seminars for employers, workers in September on recent updates in regulations for federal contractors

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Department of Labor to offer online seminars for employers, workers in September on recent updates in regulations for federal contractors WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor announced today that it will offer online compliance seminars in September for contracting agencies, contractors, unions, workers and other stakeholders to provide information on recent updates to regulations governing employment practices for federally funded contracts. On Aug. 8, 2023, the department’s Wage and Hour Division provided for public review the final rule, “Updating the Davis-Bacon and Related Acts Regulations,” following the first comprehensive review of these regulations in nearly 40 years. Enacted in 1931, the DBRA requires that laborers and mechanics be paid prevailing wages and fringe benefits when they’re employed on federally funded contracts worth more than $2,000 for the construction, alteration or repair of public buildings and other public works. These seminars will provide participan
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Department of Labor, Norfolk Southern Corp., Teamsters’ railway union enter agreement to enhance safety at East Palestine, Ohio, derailment site

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Department of Labor, Norfolk Southern Corp., Teamsters’ railway union enter agreement to enhance safety at East Palestine, Ohio, derailment site CLEVELAND – After several U.S. Department of Labor workplace safety and health investigations at the East Palestine, Ohio, site where a Norfolk Southern Corp. train derailed in February 2023, the train’s operator has entered into a settlement agreement with the department’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration and the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employees Division-International Brotherhood of Teamsters. On Feb. 2, 2023, the train derailment caused a 49 railcar pile-up, including 11 tank cars of hazardous chemicals. The chemicals ignited and the pile-up burned for several days. In response to a referral from the U.S. Department of Transportation, OSHA opened enforcement inspections on March 2, 2023, to assess the union’s concerns for the health of workers rebuilding tracks and conducting clean-up operations near the derailment s
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US Department of Labor announces final rule to modernize Davis-Bacon Act

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US Department of Labor announces final rule to modernize Davis-Bacon Act WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced the issuance of the final rule “Updating the Davis-Bacon and Related Acts Regulation” to update regulations that implement the Davis-Bacon Act and Davis-Bacon and Related Acts to reflect better the needs of construction workers on federal construction investments. The announcement follows a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on March 18, 2022, which received comments from construction industry and labor stakeholders that helped inform the regulatory updates. The updates are the most comprehensive in decades. The final rule provides greater clarity and enhances the DBRA regulations’ effectiveness in the modern economy. These updates strengthen and streamline the process for setting and enforcing wage rates on federally funded construction projects to make sure that federal government infrastructure investments are also investments in U.S. workers. “Modernizing t
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Statement by US Secretary of Labor Su on July jobs report

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Statement by US Secretary of Labor Su on July jobs report WASHINGTON – Acting U.S. Secretary of Labor Julie A. Su issued the following statement on the July 2023 Employment Situation report:  “Today, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that the American economy added 187,000 jobs in the month of July — and added an average of 218,000 jobs per month over the past three months — continuing the steady and stable growth that is bringing economic security to workers and families across the country. The unemployment rate ticked down to 3.5 percent, continuing the longest period of under 4-percent unemployment in over 50 years. Healthcare, social assistance, construction, and financial activities all gained jobs in July.  “This jobs report is the latest evidence that the Biden-Harris administration’s Investing in America agenda is expanding pathways to the middle class and leaving no one behind. The solid job market continues to deliver employment and earnings opportunities for our growi
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Inspection finds Houston steel construction company’s history of ignoring employee safety requirements continues

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Inspection finds Houston steel construction company’s history of ignoring employee safety requirements continues HOUSTON – Despite an extensive history of serious and repeat violations dating back more than a decade, a Houston steel erection company again failed to correct fall protection systems hazards, a federal workplace safety investigation has found. Investigators with the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration discovered employees of Sonny Steel Erectors Inc. lacked required fall protection as they worked on erecting a steel building in Cypress in February 2023. OSHA cited the company for one serious violation for not securing a ladder at its top to a rigid support, one willful violation for allowing workers to erect buildings taller than 15 feet without fall protection, and one repeat violation for failing to ensure employees using an aerial lift stood firmly on the basket’s floor and that a body belt or a lanyard was attached to the boom or b
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Court orders removal of Utah company CEO, co-owner as retirement plan fiduciary after investigation finds misuse of $300K

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Court orders removal of Utah company CEO, co-owner as retirement plan fiduciary after investigation finds misuse of $300K SALT LAKE CITY – A federal court in Utah has issued a preliminary injunction ordering the removal of the CEO and co-owner of Ascent Construction Inc. in Farmington as trustee of the company’s employee stock ownership plan after the U.S. Department of Labor learned he used more than $300,000 in the plan’s employee retirement funds to pay company business expenses. On July 3, 2023, Judge Ted Stewart in the U.S. District Court for the District of Utah granted the department’s motion for preliminary injunction to remove Bradley L. Knowlton. The court found the department acted quickly to protect employee contributions and ordered the appointment of an independent fiduciary to administer the plan. “The removal of Bradley L. Knowlton is a necessary first step to make certain the retirement funds of Ascent Construction’s employees are managed in their best interests,” sai
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