Our thoughts and prayers are with the children, staff, families, and all those affected by today’s events at the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut. We ask you to keep those who lost their lives in your prayers tonight.
This week, the Citizen’s Voice reported that the Luzerne County Controller was questioning workers’ compensation settlements made to county workers this year. Those settlements have totalled $277,000.
One settlement that the controller questioned was for $100,000. It was given to a sheriff’s office employee.
The county’s controller feels that the settlements aren’t valid without approval from county council. The county’s home-rule charter, which began on Jan. 2 of this year, gives council the authority to approve recommendations to initiate and settle litigation.
Citigroup, the third-largest bank in the U.S., announced this week that it would cut 11,000 jobs, nearly 4 percent of its workforce.
According to an article in the Wall Street Journal, this story is far too familiar to the banking industry, which is still recovering from the 2008 financial crisis.
Most of the cuts (about 6,200) will come from Citi’s consumer banking unit, which handles functions such as branches and checking accounts. The company will also sell or scale back its consumer operations in Pakistan, Paraguay, Romania, Turkey, and Uruguay, so that it can focus on 150 cities around the world “that have the highest growth potential in consumer banking.” Another 1,900 job cuts will take place in the institutional clients group, which includes investment banking.
Workers seen using inadequately guarded saws and grinders at ProMaxima Manufacturing Ltd in Houston, TX prompted an inspection by OSHA’s Houston South Area Office. That inspection resulted in proposed penalties against the company, totaling $47,700.
According to a press release on OSHA.org, ProMaxima manufactures fitness equipment for various federal agencies. It employes about 200 workers.
Nine serious violations were found, including failing to properly guard machinery such as saws and grinders, failing to properly store gas cylinders, failing to keep electrical equipment free and clear of obstacles, and failing to train and certify forklift operators. Serious violations occur when there is substantial probability that death or serious physical harm could result from a hazard about which the employer knew or should have known.
Mark Briggs, director of OHSA’s Houston South office, said, “The employer exposed workers to amputations as well as fire and electrical hazards. It is the responsibililty of the employer to provide a safe and healthful environment for workers.”
Wishing you and your family a Happy Thanksgiving from all of us at O’Connor Law.
Slower than expected coal sales are to blame for a temporary layoff of workers at Blaschak Coal Corporation. According to an article on the RepublicanHerald.com, the layoff affects workers at the company’s three mining operations in Centralia, Primrose, and Lattimer.
Blaschak’s president and chief executive officer is quoted in the article as saying, “What we have done is suspend our mining operations for three weeks, with everyone back at work on Dec. 3. This went into effect on Nov. 12.”
Although the company has had a strong mining year so far, slower coal sales have left them with an increased amount of coal mined until they can reduce their inventory of coal.
It doesn’t often receive the attention that breast cancer or prostate cancer receives, but what many people don’t know is that pancreatic cancer is the 4th leading cause of cancer related deaths. But health professionals and researchers are trying to change that by increasing the public’s awareness of this disease.
The attorneys and staff at O’Connor Law wore purple on Fri., Nov. 16, in honor of Pancreatic Awareness Day. Pancreatic cancer affects thousands of people in the United States each year. It is difficult to detect early and even more difficult to treat.
For more information on pancreatic cancer, visit the Sol Goldman Pancreatic Cancer Research Center at Johns Hopkins (http://www.path.jhu.edu/pancreas/) or the Lustgarten Foundation for Pancreatic Cancer Research (www.lustgarten.org).
According to an article on the RepublicanHerald.com, president and CEO of FesslerUSA, Walter Meck, announced last week that the garment company would be closing its doors at the end of this week. The company made it’s home here in Schuylkill County for 112 years.
Fessler had employed 130 people including office staff, sales employees, knitters, sewers and operators, and made underwear, tees, and tops. But recently it has been working with a skeleton crew as workers were laid off or found other jobs.
The company is being liquidated and all of its machinery will be dismantled and sold. All equipment is expected to be gone from the facility by January 2013, with most of it going overseas.
This year, the attorneys and staff of O’Connor Law pulled out all the stops to celebrate Halloween in spooktacular style. From vampires and cats to swammies and sports figures, nearly everyone donned a costume to participate in a scavenger hunt and costume contest. Atty. David Miller won Best Costume for his appearance as a pirate.
A good time was had by all!
Today applications will begin to be accepted for LIHEAP, the federally funded Low-Income Energy Assistance Program of the state Department of Welfare. The program offers grants to low-income families to help pay for heating bills. The grants do not have to be repaid.
According to an article on the RepublicanHerald.com, Georgene Fedoriska, executive director at the Schuylkill County Office of Senior Services, is quoted in the article as saying, “We encourage anyone eligible for the program to look into it, especially with the price of heating oil and the economy right now. Every little bit helps.”
Residents who either rent or own their home may qualify. They do not have to be on public assistance or have unpaid heating bills. The grants are sent directly to the utility company or fuel provider and are credited on the resident’s bill.
Pennsylvania Workers' Compensation Lawyers Blog
