Pallone Praises Rule to Extend Overtime Pay for Millions of Americans

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 18, 2016


WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06) praised the Obama Administration’s announcement that the Department of Labor has updated overtime protections for nearly 5 million more workers. The rule makes more than 130,000 additional New Jersey workers eligible for extra pay by guaranteeing overtime pay to most salaried workers earning less than an estimated $47,476 a year.

“Today, too many Americans are working longer and harder, with less to show for their efforts partly because very few workers are eligible for overtime pay,” said Congressman Pallone. “Raising the overtime threshold to better reflect current economic realities and bring an important measure of economic fairness is a tremendous victory for working families. This decision brings us closer to an economy that works for all Americans – one that fairly pays workers for the work they do.”

When the proposal was in its final stages, Pallone wrote to President Obama urging decisive action to significantly raise the income threshold for overtime pay, which currently stands at $23,600.

Pallone Announces Over $500,000 For Job Safety Training, Pollution Prevention Efforts

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Washington, D.C. – Congressman Frank Pallone Jr. Thursday announced over half a million dollars in federal grants that will help create and maintain jobs, improve worker safety and prevent pollution in the region. The Department of Labor allocated $348,000 to two local organizations that will support in-person, hands-on training and educational programs for workers and employers in industries with especially high injury and fatality rates.

“Employees should not have to worry about their lives while they are on the job,” said Pallone. “Worker safety is the best it has ever been, but that doesn’t mean we can’t always do more to prevent accidents on the job. I’m glad to see this money go toward training that will save lives.”

Rutgers University received $180,000 that will fund hazard prevention training and materials to limited-English, low-literacy, young and hard-to-reach workers employed in the warehouse and light production industries. University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey received $168,000 to update training materials and provide training on the use of fall protection in the construction industry.

Additionally, EPA awarded two grants totaling $200,000 to Rutgers to reduce the University’s carbon footprint. The first grant of $50,000 will facilitate the Center for Advanced Energy Systems implementation of a smart electrical metering system on the Busch and Livingston campuses in Piscataway. The second grant for $150,000 will help the university recruit high school students as “Water Champions” to lead water conservation changes throughout their communities. Both grants were part of approximately $4 million in grants EPA awards each year aimed at prevention pollution across the nation.

“As one of the largest universities in the region, it’s significant that Rutgers is working hard to make its carbon footprint small,” said Pallone. “Rutgers is working hard to lead the way on pollution prevention and I hope other educational institutions and localities will follow its lead. Protecting the environment also keeps and creates jobs in the area, which continues to be one of my highest priorities.”

Crime Scene Middletown: POLICE ARREST BUSINESS OWNER FOR STEALING EMPLOYEE’S BENEFITS

PREPARED BY DETECTIVE LIEUTENANT STEPHEN DOLLINGER

On April 12, 2011 the Middletown Police Department and the United States Secret Service arrested, David Crosby, age 56, from Murphy Road in Port Monmouth, for Theft of employee’s benefits.

Crosby was the owner of Crosby Site Work and Utility Inc, a business located in Port Monmouth, NJ, who police say purposely withheld his company’s contributions to his employee’s IRA funds.

The Middletown Police Department was contacted by the New York Field Office of the United States Department of Labor who informed them of the complaints they had received from employees of the business. Det. Daniel Sullivan conducted a joint investigation with the United States Secret Service and determined that Crosby had withheld approximately $17,000.00 in contributions to his employees IRA funds.

Crosby was arrested at his residence and processed and released on a summons pending a court appearance.

Four-Month Rise Strengthens U.S. Job Outlook

Here's some good Friday morning news about the economy and new job growth figures from the New York Times

The American economy added 290,000 jobs in April, a stronger gain than expected, with revised figures making it the fourth straight month of employment growth, the Labor Department said Friday.

Analysts had expected a gain of about 190,000 jobs.

At the same time, however, the unemployment figure rose to 9.9 percent, from the previous 9.7 percent, as more people returned to the job market seeking jobs.

The monthly job report also revised the March gain sharply upward to 230,000, from the previously reported 162,000, and revised February's figures from a loss of 14,000 to a gain of 39,000. With a January gain of 14,000, the cumulative increase came to 573,000 jobs in four months. But the job market still has a long way to go before it can be counted on to provide a base for a sustained economic recovery.

You can read more >>> Here

U.S. Jobless Rate Soared in January and Payrolls Kept Plunging

Shobhana Chandra
Bloomberg

Millions more U.S. workers are likely to lose their jobs after the economy’s freefall sent unemployment in January to the highest level since 1992 and payrolls tumbled, reinforcing the need for an economic stimulus plan.

The jobless rate rose to 7.6 percent from 7.2 percent in December, the Labor Department reported yesterday in Washington. Payrolls fell by 598,000, the biggest monthly drop since December 1974. Losses spanned almost all industries, from construction and manufacturing to retailing, trucking, media and finance.

“The scary thing is there is really no end in sight to the soaring jobless rate,” said Chris Rupkey, chief financial economist at Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ Ltd. in New York. “It’s difficult to see what’s going to turn the situation around. This is the sort of catalyst that could get Congress to move” to agreeing on a compromise plan.

President Barack Obama, who predicted a “dismal” report, is pushing for a stimulus plan to revive the economy and create jobs, and is expected to announce a new effort to shore up credit markets. The rate of the job market’s decline means it’s unlikely government efforts will halt a collapse in consumer spending until the second half of the year, economists said.

Read more >>>Here

598,000 Jobs Lost as Jobless Rate Hits 7.6% in January

Breaking News Alert from the NY Times -

WASHINGTON — The country moved into its second year of uninterrupted job losses last month, with companies shedding another 598,000 jobs and the unemployment rate moving up to 7.6 percent, the Labor Department reported on Friday.

Economists had forecast a loss of 540,000 jobs and a unemployment rate of 7.5 percent.

Job losses were once again spread across both manufacturing and service industries, reinforcing the picture of an economy that is contracting at its fastest pace in decades.

Employers in the United States have shed jobs every month since January 2008, for an aggregate decline in payroll employment of 3.2 million.

The Labor Department also revised its numbers from December, saying that the economy lost 577,000 jobs compared with an initial reading of a loss of 524,000.

Read more >>> Here

HOLT AND PALLONE LAUD FEDERAL GRANT FUNDING FOR FORT MONMOUTH WORKERS

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 17, 2008

U.S. Representatives Rush Holt (NJ-12) and Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-6) today lauded the announcement from the U.S. Department of Labor that it is awarding the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development $3 million in federal funding to retain a portion of the Fort Monmouth workforce. This funding will allow up to 1,100 Fort Monmouth employees to continue their work until June 30, 2010. The lawmakers believe keeping these highly skilled workers on board will ensure that our soldiers fighting abroad have the support they need as they fight to protect our country. The grant will also be used to assist workers in upgrading their skills through job training, as well as for efforts designed to attract businesses seeking to enter or expand their presence in the defense, communications, and homeland security sectors.

“While we continue to oppose the decision to close Fort Monmouth and pursue ways to reverse it, the talented workers at Fort Monmouth should be given every opportunity to continue to do their important work,” Holt said.

"While I continue to oppose the closure of Fort Monmouth, this grant will provide essential funding to retain the highly skilled workforce at the fort," Pallone said. "Working with Governor Corzine, we will ensure that job creation is a priority so that the high tech jobs at Fort Monmouth stay in Monmouth County to support essential base operations."