Labor Department News Releases Update

Wielding a large rotating steel drum equipped with sharp tungsten carbide teeth, a continuous mining machine scrapes coal from the mine’s seams and drops it onto conveyor belts or into shuttle cars for transport to the surface. As it moves from one tight space to another underground, the massive machine leaves little room – and margin for error – for miners in its path. This high-powered scraper is one of the most efficient methods for extracting coal, yet not without its risks.

Officials from the U.S. Department of Labor and the Florida Department of Revenue today signed a memorandum of understanding with the goal of protecting the rights of employees by preventing their misclassification as independent contractors or other nonemployee statuses. Under the agreement, both agencies will share information and coordinate law enforcement. The MOU represents a new effort on the part of the agencies to work together to protect the rights of employees and level the playing field for responsible employers by reducing the practice of misclassification. The Florida Department of Revenue is the latest state agency to partner with the Labor Department.

The residents of Atlantic City, N.J., and the surrounding area struggled in 2014 as several major casinos and dozens of businesses closed. The losses including as many as 4,000 jobs at the Revel Casino Hotel, the Trump Plaza, the Showboat Hotel and Casino and 40 other businesses.