US Labor Department orders Texas companies to pay more than $200K in back wages, damages to workers fired after raising asbestos concerns

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US Labor Department orders Texas companies to pay more than $200K in back wages, damages to workers fired after raising asbestos concerns HOUSTON – The U.S. Department of Labor has ordered two Houston-based construction companies and their owners to reinstate and compensate two workers who were fired for raising asbestos concerns during repair of a hotel after Hurricane Beryl.The department’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration investigated a whistleblower complaint by the terminated employees of Rise Construction LLC, owned by Jivar Foty, and Niko Group LLC, owned by Jessica Foty. The two employees alleged they were fired after raising concerns to the owners about lack of training, asbestos certification, personal protective equipment, and illegal dumping of asbestos. OSHA found that the terminations were in retaliation for making protected complaints under the Clean Air Act, the Solid Waste Disposal Act, and Toxic Substances Control Act, and ordered reinstatement of th...
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Department of Labor offers online seminar on prevailing wages for employers, workers on federally funded projects Aug. 29

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Department of Labor offers online seminar on prevailing wages for employers, workers on federally funded projects Aug. 29
WASHINGTON – The Department of Labor today announced its Wage and Hour Division will offer contracting agencies, contractors, unions, workers and other stakeholders an opportunity to attend an online seminar on Aug. 29 on requirements for paying prevailing wages on federally funded construction and service contracts.Part of the division’s continuing effort to increase awareness and improve compliance, the day-long seminar will offer sessions on the labor standards protections in the Davis-Bacon Act and the Service Contract Act – including how the department sets and administers prevailing wages – and other topics. “Prevailing wage laws empower workers by ensuring that federally funded construction and service jobs are good jobs with fair wages and benefits,” said Wage and Hour Administrator Jessica Looman. “The Biden-Harris administration’s historic investments in our nation’s infrastructure means a significant increase in the number of federal and federally funded projects, and the Wage and Hour Division is committed to ensuring stakeholders understand the labor standards protections critical to these investments.”The seminar will be held online on Aug. 29, 2024, from 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. EDT. The seminar is free to attend but registration is required. Additional information and a link to the online seminar will be sent to registered participants. Sign up to receive event updates. Learn more about the requirements for federal contractors.

Published at August 06, 2024 at 05:00AM
Read more at https://dol.gov

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