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"In Focus" items are up-to-the-minute news about the Secretary of
Labor's efforts to strengthen the workforce and the business community.
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December 27, 2005
Beginning
January 1, 2006, prescription drug coverage will be available to all Medicare
recipients. You can help your friends and family members enrolled in Medicare
consider this important new benefit by making certain they have the necessary
information about it and how to enroll. Enrollment started November 15, 2005
and will run through May 15, 2006.
“I urge America’s workers
to talk to their retired parents, and other eligible loved ones, about the new
prescription drug benefit," said Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao. "It’s
an important part of the President’s plan to help our nation’s
seniors live longer, healthier, productive lives.” If you have a family
member or friend whom you would like to assist through this decision-making
process, there are five simple steps you should follow:
- Understand the basics of Medicare Prescription Drug
Coverage
- Determine how your friend or family member gets prescription
coverage today
- Gather some important information
- Review the plan choices
- Point out to them how to enroll
Additional information about the new Medicare Prescription Drug
Coverage, including a webcast of a television program that recently aired on
CNBC entitled the "National Day of Conversation: Friends and Family First," can
be obtained online by visiting
www.medicare.gov
or by calling 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) or TTY 1-877-486-2048. Operators
are available 24/7 and can walk you, your friend, or your family member through
the Plan Finder and provide personalized help in comparing and choosing a plan.
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December 19, 2005
Secretary Chao announced six grants to train
workers in Kentucky,
Missouri,
Pennsylvania,
Utah,
West Virginia, and
Wyoming for careers in the
energy industry. The grants awarded today are part of a nearly $27 million
investment in support of the nation's energy workforce under the
President’s High Growth Job Training Initiative, a strategic
plan to prepare workers for jobs in expanding industries.
"As the energy
industry continues to evolve, its demand for skilled workers is becoming
increasingly evident," said Secretary Chao. "These grants will provide workers
throughout the country with the advanced skills needed to build successful
careers in one of our country’s most vital industries."
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December 16, 2005
The U.S.
Department of Labor announced regulations interpreting the law that protects
employment and reemployment rights and benefits of service members upon their
return to civilian life. This is the first time since its passage in 1994 that
the Department of Labor has developed regulations to explain and clarify the
Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Act (USERRA). The
Department’s action is the latest in a series of proactive steps taken to
ensure job security for the largest group of mobilized National Guard and
Reserve service members since World War II. USERRA prohibits discrimination
against past and present members of the uniformed services and establishes
reemployment rights for service members who want to return to the jobs they
held prior to service.
"Our citizen soldiers put themselves in
harm’s way to defend our freedoms, and now it’s our turn to be there
for them," said Secretary Chao. "These
regulations provide comprehensive guidance on USERRA, which works to preserve
the seniority, promotion, health care, pension and other benefits of our
citizen soldiers when they return home to the jobs they left to serve our
country."
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December 14, 2005
Secretary
Chao, Commerce Secretary Carlos M. Gutierrez, and Treasury Secretary John
W. Snow provided a year-end economic briefing at the Treasury Department.
"Our economy has seen 30 consecutive
months of job growth," said Secretary Chao. "That’s a total of 4.5 million
net new jobs created since May 2003. With the exception of the two months
following the recent hurricanes, job growth has been averaging about 200,000
per month in 2005. Meanwhile, our national unemployment rate is steady and low
at 5 percent. This is lower than the average of the 1990s, which was 5.7
percent. It is also four-tenths of a percent lower than it was at the same time
in the economic expansion of the 1990s."
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December 6, 2005
Secretary
Chao hosted the 17th Labor Hall of Fame induction ceremony, honoring Peter
Brennan, former U.S. Secretary of Labor, and Gen. Robert Wood Johnson, founder
of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and son of a founder of Johnson &
Johnson, the world’s most comprehensive and broadly based health care
products company.
"The Labor Hall of Fame memorializes those who have made
significant contributions in making life better for American workers," said
Secretary Chao. "These leaders we honor today, Secretary Brennan and General
Johnson, were leading advocates for workers and their public, private, and
non-profit sector achievements are making a difference for working
Americans."
The Labor Hall of Fame was founded in
1988 to honor posthumously those Americans whose distinctive contributions
enhanced the quality of life for America’s workers.
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December 5, 2005
Secretary
Chao announced the Pathways to Construction Employment Initiative. She was
joined in this announcement by U.S. Senator David Vitter of Louisiana.
The Pathways to Construction Employment Initiative will support
economic revitalization in Louisiana and Mississippi in the aftermath of recent
hurricanes. A partnership between each state's workforce agency and community
college system will use their respective $5 million grants to establish and
operate two construction career pathways.
"As the Gulf region recovers from the
devastation of the hurricanes, there will be a period of tremendous rebuilding
and construction activity requiring skilled construction workers. This $10
million grant will help train residents of this region with the skills to
access the new construction jobs that are being created," said Secretary
Chao.
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December 2, 2005
In a conference call,
Secretary Chao announced the Pathways to
Construction Employment Initiative. She was joined in this conference call by
U.S. Senator Trent Lott of Mississippi.
The Pathways to Construction Employment Initiative will support
economic revitalization in Louisiana and Mississippi in the aftermath of recent
hurricanes. A partnership between each state's workforce agency and community
college system will use their respective $5 million grants to establish and
operate two construction career pathways.
"As the Gulf region recovers from the
devastation of the hurricanes, there will be a period of tremendous rebuilding
and construction activity requiring skilled construction workers. This $10
million grant will help train residents of this region with the skills to
access the new construction jobs that are being created," said Secretary
Chao.
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November 29, 2005
Secretary
Chao and Gov. Mike Huckabee announced a grant of approximately $5.9 million
to help prepare Arkansas workers for advanced manufacturing careers as part of
the President’s High Growth Job Training Initiative. Chao
and Huckabee were joined for the announcement in Little Rock by four community
college presidents and other key partners in the grant.
"This $5.9 million grant under the
President’s High Growth Job Training Initiative will train
at least 2,500 workers for promising careers and help build a pipeline of
qualified workers to make Arkansas an even more attractive home for
job-producing industries," said Secretary Chao.
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November 10, 2005
Approximately
300,000 wallet-sized cards and key fobs with critical employment and job
training information will be distributed to military personnel and veterans
over the next six months, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) announced
today.
The Department also unveiled the elaws Recovery and Employment Assistance
Lifelines (REALifelines) Advisor. This new online tool will
provide valuable information and resources to help returning wounded and
injured veterans successfully transition into civilian employment.
"The 'Key To Career Success' cards and
REALifelines online advisor are part of our outreach efforts to
help veterans and returning soldiers access good job opportunities and develop
new career pathways," said Labor Secretary Elaine
L. Chao. "Our servicemen and women have put themselves in harm’s way
to protect our homeland and help other countries achieve freedom and democracy.
We want to do everything we can to welcome them home and facilitate their
reintegration into civilian life."
The "Key to Career
Success" card will be attached to a brochure for demobilizing and
transitioning service members as they go through the joint DOL, Department of
Veterans Affairs, and Department of Defense Transition Assistance Program. For
veterans who have already made the transition, there will be additional
information and professional staff guidance available at the nearly 3,500
One-Stop Career Centers nationwide.
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November 9, 2005
Secretary
Chao today hosted the 2005 Opportunity Conference for Asian Pacific,
Hispanic, and African Americans in Chicago. The full-day conference was
designed to inform small business owners, non-profit, and faith-based
organizations and community leaders about the many opportunities available to
these growing segments of the 21st century workforce.
Chao’s keynote address highlighted the Department of Labor's
outreach efforts to inform previously underserved communities about local,
state and federal grant, contracting and partnership opportunities.
"For traditionally under-served
communities, we hope this conference provides the networking, skills
enhancement and training opportunities that will help individuals and
organizations grow and succeed," said Chao. “I hope the organizations
attending this meeting today will help the department spread the good news to
their members about the tremendous array of resources available to help them
seek new opportunities.”
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October 28, 2005
Secretary
Chao announced that one individual, three non-profits, and three businesses
have been selected to receive the Secretary of Labor’s New Freedom
Initiative (NFI) Award for outstanding support of employment for people with
disabilities.
"Today's New Freedom Initiative Awards recipients have
demonstrated great commitment to helping Americans with disabilities enter the
workforce and build solid career paths,"said Chao during a ceremony for the
winners at the department. "In facilitating the workplace to be more friendly
and accessible to workers with disabilities, these employers are also tapping
an underutilized pool of talented workers."
The Secretary’s NFI Award recognizes exemplary and innovative
efforts to train, recruit and hire people with disabilities and to incorporate
into workplaces the principles of President George W. Bush’s New Freedom
Initiative. Introduced in 2001, the NFI is a comprehensive set of proposals
designed to give people with disabilities the opportunity to fully participate
in all aspects of community life, including employment.
This year’s winners are:
Individual: Jim Westall; Non-Profits: Breaking New Ground, West Lafayette,
Ind., Center of Vocational Alternatives, Columbus, Ohio, and InspiriTec, Inc.,
Philadelphia, Pa.; Businesses: Computer Science Corporation Federal Sector,
Falls Church, Va., Merck and Co., Inc., Whitehouse Station, N.J., and
TecAccess, Rockville, Va.
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October 21, 2005
In a series
of announcements at a National Press Club ceremony, Secretary Chao kicked off the Department of
Labor's plans to enhance protection of employment rights for America's
citizen-soldiers; to strengthen assistance programs for veterans transitioning
from military to civilian careers, and to encourage private employers to hire
veterans.
"HireVetsFirst promotes the reality that veterans make great
employees. They possess valuable skills including a sense of discipline,
maturity, leadership and a results-oriented work ethic," said Chao. "They were
there for us, now it's our turn to be there for them. We will protect their
rights and help them successfully transition to civilian life."
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September 2,
2005
The U.S. Department of Labor is providing assistance to individuals
impacted by the Gulf Coast hurricanes. "We are focused on getting income
assistance to displaced workers as quickly as possible," said
Secretary Chao.
Available resources:
- DOL's National Contact Center
1-866-4-USA-DOL
(1-866-487-2365)
- Unemployment
Insurance claims can be filed in:
- Texas, 1-800-939-6631
- Louisiana, 1-800-430-8076
- Mississippi, 1-888-844-3577
- Alabama, 1-866-234-5382
- Disaster
Unemployment Assistance for self-employed and newly employed who are
ineligible for UI, can file claims in:
- Texas, 1-800-430-8076
- Louisiana, 1-800-818-7811
- Mississippi, 1-888-844-3577
- Alabama, 1-866-234-5382
- Hurricane
Recovery Job Connection for workers impacted by the Gulf Coast hurricanes
and employers who want to hire them.
- Information on National Emergency Grants (NEGs) for
Louisiana,
Mississippi,
Alabama, and
Texas.
- Information on Job Training Grants for Alabama,
Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas.
- Visit DOL's Career
One-Stop Web site.
- For more information, please visit
DOL's Hurricane Recovery Assistance
page.
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September 1,
2005
President George W. Bush has declared major disasters for impacted
areas in Louisiana, Mississippi, Florida, and Alabama. The U.S. Department of
Labor is supporting efforts in these communities in coordination with the
U.S.
Department of Homeland Security, the agency that is actively managing
federal assistance to these affected communities in an effort to expedite
response efforts and save lives.
Hurricane Katrina has proven to be one of
the most dangerous storms in U.S. history. Hazards from weakened and damaged
trees, downed power lines, high water, and other dangers remain. We urge
citizens to be mindful of instructions from state and local officials who have
asked that individuals remain in shelters, homes or safe places until given
further notice. Individuals in declared counties can register online for
disaster assistance at
www.fema.gov
or call FEMA’s toll free registration line at 1-800-621-FEMA (3362); for
the hearing impaired TTY 800-462-7585.
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August 29, 2005
Secretary
Chao and Secretary of Health and Human Services Mike Leavitt highlighted
community-based resources that will help educate and enroll seniors and
disabled beneficiaries in the new Medicare Prescription Drug Coverage at the
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August 18, 2005
In remarks to
workers and community leaders, Secretary Chao
hailed the Social Security system's 70th anniversary and the need to strengthen
it for the future. Secretary Chao, a member of the Social Security and Medicare
Board of Trustees and Chairman of the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation,
outlined President George W. Bush's reform plan.
"Social Security has
given generations of seniors a better quality of life and future retirees
deserve no less from the system they pay into," said Chao. "That is why
President Bush is working hard to ensure that decades from now Americans can
still celebrate Social Security for enabling seniors to live with dignity."
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August 9, 2005
Secretary Chao addressed the need for skilled
workers in homeland security during an appearance at the Fraternal Order of
Police (F.O.P.) 57th Biennial National Conference. The Secretary also announced
that a $10 million Department of Labor grant competition under the President's
High Growth Job Training Initiative will occur later this fall to train workers
for careers in homeland and cyber security.
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July 21,
2005
The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) is the first federal agency to
achieve the highest score of "green" on all five major government-wide
components of the President's Management Agenda (PMA). The accomplishment was
noted in a report issued by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) on PMA
scorecard results for the quarter ending June 30.
"This is a tremendous
achievement by DOL employees who are committed to excellence on behalf of
American workers and taxpayers," said Secretary
Chao. "The President's Management Agenda sets high standards and I have
high expectations that we will continue to meet them."
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July 5, 2005
Secretary Chao
was in Anchorage, Alaska, in early July to announce a $7 million grant to the
Alaska Department of Labor & Workforce Development to increase the state's
capacity to recruit and train workers for careers in the energy industry. The
grant is the first in a series of investments the Labor Department will make in
the energy sector under the President's High Growth Job Training Initiative.
Secretary Chao was joined for the announcement at the University of
Alaska-Anchorage campus by U.S. Senator Ted Stevens (R-Alaska).
"Alaska's
vast energy resources continue to create a demand for skilled workers," said
Secretary Chao. "This $7 million grant will help train a pipeline of workers
with cutting-edge skills for good jobs in the energy sector of Alaska's
economy."
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June 27, 2005
Secretary Chao gave the keynote address and
christened the Pride of America in a ceremony June 17 in New York
City.
Pride of America will employ a crew made up entirely of American
workers. As godmother to the Pride of America, Secretary Chao not only
christened but also named the new cruise ship.
"The Pride of America is the
first newly-constructed oceangoing U.S.-flagged cruise ship in 50 years,"
Secretary Chao said. "It will provide thousands of jobs for American workers."
Pride of America and Pride of Aloha will be joined next year by the Pride
of Hawaii. These three ships will employ nearly 20,000 American seafarers plus
related shoreside jobs.
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June 8, 2005
Secretary Chao announced a $3.75 million grant to help
prepare workers in skills required by plastics manufacturers in Pennsylvania.
Secretary Chao was joined by Senator Rick Santorum to present the award to Dr.
Jack Burke, campus executive officer and dean with Penn State University and
John Vogel, director of workforce development partnerships with Pennsylvania's
Department of Labor and Industry.
“As technology advances, workers
need help in accessing the training needed in the 21st Century workforce,”
said Secretary Chao. “This grant will help Pennsylvania's workers in the
plastics industry to gain the skills to be competitive in the worldwide
economy.”
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May 26, 2005
Secretary Chao announced that the Department of Labor (DOL)
has met the deadline to establish regulations for the newly created Part E of
the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act (EEOICPA).
"The Department of Labor is committed to ensuring that sick workers
eligible for this program and their families get payments as soon as possible,"
said Secretary Chao. "We had a very short and compressed timeframe to get these
regulations out. I'm pleased these regulations are finished on time. As I have
said many times, I am totally committed to helping the workers get the help
they deserve under this program."
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May 4, 2005
Secretary Chao, in collaboration with the Office of Personnel
Management and 10 federal agencies and partners, hosted the fourth annual Asian
Pacific American Federal Career Advancement Summit on Tuesday. Secretary Chao
created the APA Summit, the first of its kind, in 2002 to prepare Asian Pacific
Americans for senior level participation in the federal workforce.
"As our
nation celebrates Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, we recognize the many
accomplishments and contributions of Asian Pacific Americans," said Secretary
Chao. "The goal of this summit is to help Asian Pacific Americans in federal
government build the necessary skills to advance their careers."
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April 29, 2005
Secretary Chao addressed the challenges of
retirement security at a roundtable today hosted by the Louisiana Restaurant
Association. As part of the "60 Stops in 60 Days" tour, Secretary Chao visited
New Orleans outlining President Bush's plans to strengthen the retirement
security of America's workers.
"Social Security and private pensions are
promises that were made to workers that President Bush wants to strengthen and
protect," Chao said.
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April 27, 2005
The Bush
Administration has proposed comprehensive reforms to strengthen retirement
security for workers and retirees, Secretary
Chao told attendees at the 2005 Employee Benefits Conference in Washington,
D.C. Chao described the Administration's reform proposals to bolster Social
Security, private pension plans and personal savings, so that America's workers
and retirees can look forward to a secure retirement.
"Social Security and
private pensions are promises that were made to workers that President Bush
wants to strengthen and protect," Chao said.
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April 25,
2005
Secretary Chao addressed the
challenges of retirement security at a meeting hosted by the Greater Louisville
Inc.-Metro Chamber of Commerce. As part of the "60 Stops in 60 Days" tour,
Secretary Chao visited Louisville outlining President Bush's plans to
strengthen the retirement security of America's workers.
"President Bush
has made retirement security one of the highest priorities of his second term.
A critical component of his agenda is ensuring that the defined benefit pension
system is viable and that the promises made to workers enrolled in these plans
are kept," said Secretary Chao. "We must move ahead with reform of the Social
Security system because our children's retirement security must be protected.
We must make Social Security permanently sound and not leave the problems the
system faces for another day."
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April 20,
2005
Secretary Chao addressed the
challenges of retirement security at a meeting hosted by the St. Petersburg
Area Chamber of Commerce. As part of the "60 Stops in 60 Days" tour, Secretary
Chao visited St. Petersburg outlining President Bush's plans to strengthen the
retirement security of America's workers.
"President Bush has made
retirement security one of the highest priorities of his second term. A
critical component of his agenda is ensuring that the defined benefit pension
system is viable and that the promises made to workers enrolled in these plans
are kept," said Secretary Chao. "We must move ahead with reform of the Social
Security system because our children's retirement security must be protected.
We must make Social Security permanently sound, and not leave the problems the
system faces for another day."
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April 19,
2005
Secretary Chao addressed the
challenges of retirement security at a meeting Monday hosted by the Charlotte
Area Society for Human Resource Management. As part of the "60 Stops in 60
Days" tour, Secretary Chao visited Charlotte outlining President Bush's plans
to strengthen the retirement security of America's workers.
"President Bush
has made retirement security one of the highest priorities of his second term.
A critical component of his agenda is ensuring that the defined benefit pension
system is viable and that the promises made to workers enrolled in these plans
are kept," said Secretary Chao. "We must move ahead with reform of the Social
Security system because our children's retirement security must be protected.
We must make Social Security permanently sound, and not leave the problems the
system faces for another day."
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April 14,
2005
The U.S. Department of Labor has, for the third year in a row,
received number one ranking on George Mason University's Mercatus Center's 6th
Annual Performance Report Scorecard for the federal government.
"The
Department of Labor is proud to have the Mercatus Center recognize us the third
year in a row as the top federal agency in communicating to the public how we
utilize taxpayers' dollars and why," said Secretary
Chao. "The scoring regimen raises the bar every year, so being a repeat
winner is a great distinction and credit to the department's hard-working men
and women."
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April 13,
2005
Secretary Chao joined Senator Rick
Santorum (R-Pa.) and Senator Norm Coleman (R-Minn.) at a Capitol Hill news
conference to unveil the Senate Republican Conference's Job Creation and
Retention Agenda of the 109th Congress. The agenda, which includes increased
workplace flexibility, advocates improving the Workforce Investment Act (WIA)
to give workers the necessary training for better jobs.
“This agenda
includes reforming and reauthorizing the Workforce Investment Act. The
Administration's 'WIA Plus' proposal will reform the workforce investment
system so it will be of even greater value to helping Americans get the
training they need to access higher-skilled, better paying jobs in high growth
industries,” said Secretary Chao.
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April 12,
2005
Secretary Chao addressed the
challenges of retirement security at a meeting hosted by the Greater Cincinnati
Human Resources Association. As part of the "60 Stops in 60 Days" tour,
Secretary Chao visited Cincinnati outlining President Bush's plans to
strengthen the retirement security of America's workers.
"President Bush
has made retirement security one of the highest priorities of his second term.
A critical component of his agenda is ensuring that the defined benefit pension
system is viable and that the promises made to workers enrolled in these plans
are kept," said Secretary Chao. "We must move ahead with reform of the Social
Security system because our children's retirement security must be protected.
We must make Social Security permanently sound, and not leave the problems the
system faces for another day."
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April 7,
2005
Secretary Chao met with labor and
trade ministers of Central America and the Dominican Republic who were in
Washington to issue a White Paper highlighting the progress these countries
have made toward promoting worker rights in their regions and describing the
challenges ahead. The Central American Free Trade Agreement was negotiated last
year and now includes the Dominican Republic (CAFTA-DR).
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April 6,
2005
Secretary Chao addressed the
challenges of retirement security at a meeting in Dallas as part of the "60
Stops in 60 Days" tour, outlining President Bush's plans to strengthen the
retirement security of America's workers.
"President Bush has made
retirement security one of the highest priorities of his second term. A
critical component of his agenda is ensuring that the defined benefit pension
system is viable and that the promises made to workers enrolled in these plans
are kept," said Secretary of Labor Chao. "We must move ahead with reform of the
Social Security system because our children's retirement security must be
protected. We must make Social Security permanently sound, and not leave the
problems the system faces for another day."
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April 1,
2005
As part of the "60 Stops in 60 Days" tour,
Secretary Chao visited Pittsburgh today,
outlining President Bush's plans to strengthen the retirement security of
America's workers. "President Bush has made retirement security one of the
highest priorities of his second term. A critical component of his agenda is
ensuring that the defined benefit pension system is viable and that the
promises made to workers enrolled in these plans are kept," said Secretary of
Labor Chao. "We must move ahead with reform of the Social Security system
because our children's retirement security must be protected. We must make
Social Security permanently sound, and not leave the problems the system faces
for another day."
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March 24, 2005
The Social
Security and Medicare Board of Trustees met to complete the annual financial
review of the trust funds and to transmit the Trustees' Reports to Congress.
"Today's report reinforces the sobering message that unless a solution is
enacted soon, the Baby Boomers' retirements will bust Social Security," said
Secretary Chao. "As the President is urging and
this report attests: we need a permanent and swift solution so that future
generations can count on Social Security to be there for them too."
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March 11, 2005
Secretary Chao addressed the challenges of aging
workforces in developed countries at the G8 Conference at which labor ministers
from around the world gathered. Secretary Chao called for solutions that would
allow older workers greater flexibility in determining their work lives and
increase the pool of available older workers to meet projected growing demand
for workers.
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March 4, 2005
The U.S.
Presidential Delegation, headed by Secretary
Chao, attended the inauguration of the newly elected President of the
Republic of Uruguay on March 1 in Montevideo, Uruguay.
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February 17, 2005
"This
budget strengthens our ability to protect workers and prepare them for good
jobs in the 21st century economy," said Secretary
Chao. "Additional resources will enable us to continue our record-breaking
enforcement of worker protection laws, and innovative job training measures
will put valuable training options directly in the hands of workers."
The President's
Fiscal Year (FY) 2006 budget for the Department of Labor provides added
resources for enforcement and compliance assistance to protect workers' health,
safety, pay, benefits and union dues. The budget also proposes new job training
reforms to make federal-state training programs more flexible and effective.
The budget also calls for passage of Association Health Plan legislation and
other legislative initiatives related to the Department's agencies and
programs.
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February 4, 2005
Secretary
Chao issued the following statement on the January unemployment numbers
released today:
"Today's unemployment rate of 5.2% is the lowest since
September 11, 2001," said Secretary Chao. "We have created 2.7 million new jobs
in the last 20 months — after benchmark adjustments — or a net gain
of jobs in President Bush's first term.
"To keep the momentum going, the
Congress needs to act on the President's proposals to further strengthen our
economy through energy independence, health insurance access for small
businesses, social security reform, and permanent tax relief for working
families."
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January 10, 2005
Elaine L. Chao, Secretary of Labor and Chairman of the Board of the
Pension
Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC), announced the Bush Administration's
plan to strengthen the retirement security of the 34 million workers and
retirees covered by private, single employer defined benefit pension plans.
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