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• La. company agrees to pay $2M in back wages

  May 6, 2013 3:26 PM

  LAFAYETTE - A Lafayette-based industrial services employment agency has agreed to pay nearly $2 million in back wages to more than 2,000 employees following a U.S. Labor Department investigation. The Labor Department said Monday that Hutco Inc. employees in Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas were denied overtime compensation as a result... more »

• Senator vows to block Labor Dept. nominee

  March 18, 2013 3:47 PM

  WASHINGTON - Republican Sen. David Vitter says he will block President Barack Obama's nominee to head the Labor Department until he gets a response to his letter complaining about the enforcement of voting rights laws in his home state of Louisiana. Vitter's comments came just hours after Obama formally nominated... more »

• US builder confidence falls on weak supply, labor

  March 18, 2013 10:23 AM

  UNDATED - Confidence among U.S. homebuilders fell this month because of concerns that limited land, building materials and labor will slow sales in the short term. But builders' outlook for sales over the next six months reached its strongest point in more than six years, suggesting the decline is temporary.... more »

• $1.1 million in grant funding for Isaac recovery efforts

  March 11, 2013 11:55 AM

  WASHINGTON - Louisiana received a federal grant to help continue cleanup and recovery efforts across the state in the aftermath of Hurricane Isaac. The U.S. Department of Labor today announced a $1,119,339 National Emergency Grant increment was to be released. "Louisiana continues to need assistance to recover from... more »

• Canadian lawmaker: Let amateurs play for the cup

  December 18, 2012 4:29 PM

  EDMONTON, Alberta - A member of the Canadian parliament says the Stanley Cup should be awarded to an amateur team if the NHL labor fight isn't settled in time to save the season. Brent Rathgeber suggests the cup could be the prize in a national competition to determine the best... more »

• Pilots approve new contract with American Airlines

  December 7, 2012 1:34 PM

  DALLAS - Pilots at American Airlines are approving a new labor contract, which could clear the way for consideration of a merger with US Airways. The pilots' union announced the results Friday. Pilots rejected a similar offer in August, but union leaders lobbied hard for passage the second time around.... more »

• NHL labor talks break off after 1 hour

  December 6, 2012 5:41 PM

  NEW YORK - Talks in the NHL labor fight broke down after just one hour Thursday night, and it isn't known when the league and the players' association would get back together. After several hours of waiting for discussions to resume for a third straight day, the conversations didn't go... more »

• NHL talks to resume on Tuesday

  December 3, 2012 5:41 PM

  NEW YORK - The NHL labor talks are set to resume Tuesday with six owners and players scheduled to meet without a couple of the key figures from each side. With negotiations to resolve the lockout at a standstill, the league and union finalized the details for the unusual bargaining... more »

• NHL cancels games through Dec. 14, All-Star game

  November 23, 2012 1:51 PM

  NEW YORK - The NHL is calling off all games through Dec. 14, plus the 2013 NHL All-Star Weekend scheduled for Jan. 26-27 in Columbus, Ohio. The league made the announcement Friday, the 69th day of the NHL's lockout of its players. The new cancelations come as little surprise. The... more »

• Labor board still investigating Walmart dispute

  November 20, 2012 5:19 PM

  NEW YORK - Federal labor officials say they haven't decided whether to support a request by Wal-Mart Stores Inc. to stop a union-backed group from encouraging worker walk-outs that are expected to culminate Friday, the traditional start of the holiday shopping season. The world's largest retailer, based in Bentonville, Ark.,... more »

• NHL lockout goes on

  November 20, 2012 10:46 AM

  NEW YORK - It's day 66 of the NHL lockout and while the two sides are talking, there is no indication that they're getting anywhere. Representative for the league and players got together for about two hours yesterday, with union executive director Donald Fehr indicating the two sides would try... more »

• Labor heads say Obama backs them on 'fiscal cliff'

  November 13, 2012 12:47 PM

  WASHINGTON - Labor leaders say President Barack Obama remains committed to preserving tax cuts for middle class families and ensuring that the wealthiest Americans pay more in taxes. The leaders of labor unions met with Obama Tuesday to discuss ways of averting the so-called "fiscal cliff" and find consensus on... more »

• US employers post fewest jobs in 5 months

  November 6, 2012 12:13 PM

  UNDATED - The Labor Department says the nation's employers posted fewer job openings in September after advertising more in August than first estimated. The report suggests hiring could remain modest in the coming months. September job openings dropped by 100,000 to 3.56 million, the fewest in five months. August's openings... more »

• NHL releases details of latest offer to NHLPA

  October 17, 2012 10:30 AM

  TORONTO - The NHL has released details of its latest collective bargaining proposal to the public. In an unprecedented move, the league has published the documents it handed over to the NHL Players' Association on Tuesday in an attempt to save a full 82-game season and end the third lockout... more »

• Obama: 'Today we celebrate Cesar Chavez'

  October 8, 2012 2:56 PM

  KEENE, Calif. - President Barack Obama has designated the home of Latino labor leader Cesar Chavez as a national monument. The 187-acre site, known as Nuestra Senora Reina de la Paz (Our Lady Queen of Peace), or simply La Paz, served as the planning and coordination center of the United... more »

• NHL lockout: Labor talks resume after 2-week break

  September 28, 2012 10:36 AM

  NEW YORK - With the clock ticking down to the start of the season, the NHL and its locked-out players are talking again. The sides have resumed negotiations at league headquarters Friday. These are the first talks since the lockout was put in place and they come a day after... more »

• White House: NFL deal is 'great day for America'

  September 27, 2012 10:33 AM

  ABOARD AIR FORCE ONE - How important is it to get the NFL's regular referees back on the job? The White House calls it a great day for America. Without prompting, President Barack Obama's spokesman on Thursday applauded news of a deal between that the National Football League and the... more »

• Sources: NFL, officials' union hold talks

  September 24, 2012 10:29 AM

  NEW YORK - Two people familiar with the talks say that the NFL and the locked out officials' union met on Sunday. It was uncertain whether progress was made in an attempt to reach a new collective bargaining agreement, or when further negotiations would take place. The two people spoke... more »

• Louisiana jobless rate dips as labor force shrinks

  September 21, 2012 10:47 AM

  BATON ROUGE - Unemployment ticked down in Louisiana in August as some people left the labor force. The state's jobless rate fell to 7.4 percent, down from 7.6 percent in July but above the 7.3 percent unemployment rate of August 2011. Louisiana's jobless rate never rose as high as... more »

• Chicago teachers suspend strike, classes to resume

  September 18, 2012 5:20 PM

  CHICAGO - Chicago teachers are suspending a seven-day strike in the nation's third-largest city, a move that will send thousands of students back to classrooms. The union's House of Delegates voted Tuesday to suspend the strike after learning details of a tentative contract agreement. A proposed settlement was presented to... more »

• More NHL players head to Europe

  September 18, 2012 10:46 AM

  GENEVA - New York Islanders captain Mark Streit and Montreal Canadiens defenseman Yannick Weber are returning home to play in Switzerland during the NHL lockout. Bern says it has signed Streit and Geneva-Servette says it recruited Weber. San Jose Sharks captain Joe Thornton is also expected in Switzerland this week... more »

• Louisiana gets $1.5M work-sharing labor grant

  August 14, 2012 10:21 AM

  NEW ORLEANS - The U.S. Department of Labor has set aside nearly $100 million in grants for states to set up or improve existing short-term compensation programs, commonly referred to as "work sharing." Louisiana's share of the grant is $1.5 million. Work sharing allows employees to keep their jobs... more »

• American Airlines seeks 20 percent cut in labor costs

  February 1, 2012 2:35 PM

  DALLAS - American Airlines wants to cut labor costs by 20 percent, a move likely to include the loss of thousands of jobs at the nation's third-biggest airline. American is expected to say later Wednesday how many jobs it wants to eliminate, but a 20 percent cut in labor costs... more »

• After traffic stop, Ohio woman gives birth in car

  February 1, 2012 10:56 AM

  COLUMBUS, Ohio - A woman's speeding got her a warning from an Ohio state trooper but wasn't enough to keep her grandchild from being born in her car. Donna Richmond got pulled over on Tuesday morning as she was trying to rush her daughter to a Columbus hospital. She tells... more »

• Victor Bussie dies at 92

  September 4, 2011 2:23 PM

  For more than 40 years, Victor Bussie was the president of the Louisiana AFL-CIO. His influence in the state was great. He led the the growing ranks of unionized workers in Louisiana. At one point, Louisiana was the most unionized state in the South. In the mid-1950's, Bussie was... more »

• La. 1 of 9 states to see jobless rate dip

  August 19, 2011 10:10 AM

  BATON ROUGE - Louisiana's unemployment rate for July was 7.6 percent - the same as July 2010 and down slightly from 7.8 percent in June - according to seasonally adjusted figures from the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics. Last month, the number of people listed as unemployed fell to... more »

• NFL lockout could end today

  July 21, 2011 3:14 AM

  WASHINGTON- Today could be the day the NFL lockout ends. The four-month-old lockout could be near an end, as NFL players gave what was termed "conditional approval" of a proposal, however failed to vote on a full proposal to settle the league's labor dispute, citing several outstanding issues. ... more »

• April jobless rate unchanged in Louisiana

  May 20, 2011 12:32 PM

  BATON ROUGE - The federal Labor Department says Louisiana added 13,100 non-farm jobs in April. On a seasonally adjusted basis, the jobless rate remained unchanged at 8.1 percent from March. The number of those officially listed as unemployed dropped to 167,900 in April from 168,700 in March. There also... more »

• Obama: No plans to step into NFL labor dispute

  March 3, 2011 2:29 PM

  WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama has a clear message for pro football players and team owners: I don't intend to get involved in your labor dispute and you should be able to work things out so each side has enough money. As the NFL and the players' union held... more »

• Initial jobless claims edge up

  December 28, 2010 3:31 PM

  BATON ROUGE - Louisiana labor officials say first-time claims for jobless benefits edged up at mid-month. The state Workforce Commission says that for the week ending Dec. 18, there were 4,262 initial claims in Louisiana. The previous week saw 4,231 filings. The four-week moving average of initial claims increased to... more »

• Lee Roy Williams pleads guilty to four murders

  November 9, 2010 4:40 PM

  LAKE CHARLES – The man accused of brutally killing four people in Lake Charles and then fleeing to Baton Rouge pleaded guilty and was sentenced today. 51-year-old Lee Roy Williams was given four life sentences for first-degree murder in district court today, which will run consecutively. District Attorney John DeRosier... more »

• State jobless rate jumps to 7.6 percent in August

  September 21, 2010 9:46 AM

  Louisiana's unemployment rate rose to 7.6 percent in August from 7.2 percent in July. The federal Bureau of Labor Statistics says that Louisiana was one of 27 states that recorded an increase last month, on a seasonally adjusted basis. The agency says there were 8,600 more people listed as unemployed... more »

• LA unemployment rises after seasonal job losses

  August 24, 2010 5:54 PM

  State labor officials say Louisiana lost 9,900 jobs last month, due mostly to the seasonal layoffs of education employees and the end of work for temporary Census workers. The Louisiana Workforce Commission says the state - on a non-seasonally adjusted basis - had 20,100 more non-farm jobs last month than... more »

• La., Miss. share $2.3M labor grant

  November 19, 2009 7:28 AM

  Louisiana will get most of a $2.3 million federal labor grant, to be shared with Mississippi, as it studies green job growth in the states and training needed to meet that demand. The project is funded by stimulus money from President Barack Obama's $787 billion American Recovery and Reinvestment Act... more »

• Baton Rouge ranked third best among labor markets

  September 30, 2009 1:34 PM

  The U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics ranked Baton Rouge in August as the third best among the nation's 100 biggest labor markets. While Baton Rouge did see fewer jobs last month compared to the same time a year ago, the loss was less than one percent. New Orleans... more »