Labor Department News Releases Update

Former employees of General Atomics in La Jolla, California, have been notified by the U.S. Department of Labor about a new class of employees added to the Special Exposure Cohort of the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act. The EEOICPA provides compensation and medical benefits to workers who became ill as a result of working in the nuclear weapons industry. Survivors of qualified workers also may be entitled to benefits.

The U.S. Department of Labor today announced a $169,813 National Emergency Grant incremental award to continue providing re-employment services to workers affected by the closure of Alaunus Pharmaceutical LLC, Ameridose LLC, Medical Sales Management Inc. and New England Compounding Center, all of which were located in east-central Massachusetts.

A multiyear enforcement initiative conducted by the U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division has uncovered widespread labor violations in the central Florida agricultural industry. The initiative focused on hand-harvested crops — including citrus, strawberries, tomatoes, blueberries and watermelons - where many vulnerable migrant workers are employed and recovered average back wages of $340 per worker, more than enough to buy a week's worth of groceries.