NATIONAL RESTAURANT COMPANY TO PAY $210,000 FOR ALLEGEDLY FAILING TO PAY MORE THAN 2,500 MASSACHUSETTS WORKERS PROPERLY

NATIONAL RESTAURANT COMPANY TO PAY $210,000 FOR ALLEGEDLY FAILING TO PAY MORE THAN 2,500 MASSACHUSETTS WORKERS PROPERLY

2,500 Bloomin’ Brands Employees Who Were Not Paid for Required Trainings will Receive Restitution

            BOSTON – A national casual dining restaurant company has agreed to pay $210,000 in restitution and penalties to resolve allegations that it failed to pay more than 2,500 Massachusetts workers for required trainings in violation of state law, Attorney General Maura Healey announced today.

Bloomin’ Brands, Inc., d/b/a Outback Steakhouse, Carrabba’s Italian Grill, Bonefish Grill and Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse and Wine Bar, has agreed to pay $210,000 in restitution and penalties. The restitution will go back to 2,565 Massachusetts employees.

“Companies cannot cut corners in order to save costs and must pay their employees for the hours they work,” said AG Healey. “As a result of a single complaint to our office, thousands of Massachusetts workers will now receive restitution for the wages they earned.”

               Bloomin’ Brands owns 22 restaurants in Massachusetts, including locations in Leominster, Boston, Peabody, Auburn, Hanover, Methuen, Seekonk, Framingham, Lowell, Somerville, Westborough, Norwood, Tyngsboro, Bellingham, Randolph, West Springfield, Waltham, Burlington, and Westwood.

              

               The AG’s Fair Labor Division began an investigation after it received a complaint from a server and staff manager who reported that she was required to routinely participate in online trainings but was not paid for the time spent completing them.

               Further investigation revealed the company used one software system to track when an employee was physically present and working at the restaurant and a different program to track the time an employee spent completing online training programs. Bloomin’ Brands allegedly failed to include employees’ hours from the online training software program when processing hours for payroll. The company also allegedly failed to identify the extent of the problem and fix the software issue in a timely manner, resulting in the allocation of double alleged damages to the impacted workers through this settlement agreement. 

               Bloomin’ Brands has since made the necessary changes to its system and instituted quality control measures to help ensure workers are paid for all hours worked at the correct rate. The company has also agreed to a compliance plan through which the AG’s Office will review its payroll and timekeeping records at the end of 2016.

               The AG’s Fair Labor Division is responsible for enforcing the laws regulating the payment of wages, including prevailing wage, minimum wage and overtime laws. Workers who believe that their rights have been violated in their workplace are encouraged to call the Office’s Fair Labor Hotline at (617) 727-3465. More information about the state's wage and hour laws is also available in multiple languages at the Attorney General's Workplace Rights website www.massworkrights.com.

This matter was handled by Assistant Attorneys General Drew Cahill and Jennifer Scully and Investigator Leah Lucier, all of the AG’s Fair Labor Division.

MAYOR WALSH ANNOUNCES ONE-YEAR RESULTS OF HOMELESS ACTION PLAN, UNVEILS "BOSTON'S WAY HOME"

MAYOR WALSH ANNOUNCES ONE-YEAR RESULTS OF HOMELESS ACTION PLAN, UNVEILS "BOSTON'S WAY HOME"

BOSTON - Thursday, July 21, 2016  - One year after the launch of the City's action plan to end chronic and veteran homelessness by 2018, Mayor Martin J. Walsh today announced that the City is well on its way to meeting its goals, and relaunched the plan as "Boston's Way Home." Boston has ended chronic homelessness among veterans by housing more than 650 homeless veterans, and more than 100 chronically homeless individuals in only six months, and also by reforming the housing and service delivery system for homeless individuals. View a  summary of our one-year accomplishments. "Helping our homeless has always been a deeply personal issue for me, and I am proud of the work we have done with our partners to improve the way we deliver services to our homeless population," said Mayor Walsh. "'Boston's Way Home' reflects our focus on permanent supportive housing and how we will meet our goal of ending chronic homelessness by 2018." The City of Boston has launched a new presence for the initiative that provides background and updates on the plan, as well as a Twitter account --@BostonsWayHome -- to keep residents apprised of progress and ways to get engaged. In partnership with agencies at the Federal and State level and the city's strong nonprofit network, Boston's Way Home aims to better connect homeless individuals with housing and the support they need to become stable.    The initiative's home at the new boston.gov will provide a comprehensive overview of the action plan, as well as regular progress reports.   "Boston is incredibly lucky to have a strong network of providers of service to our homeless, and they have done incredible work over many years," said Sheila Dillon, Boston's Chief of Housing and Director of Neighborhood Development. "This new, coordinated approach is working because it focuses on connecting chronically homeless individuals with the services that address their specific case, thereby helping them find a permanent solution." The new logo, a straight path that cuts through a maze and leads directly to a home, reflects the promise of Boston's Way Home. In the year since the launch of Boston's Way Home, the City of Boston, along with its partners has: Ended chronic veteran homelessness by housing nearly 684 homeless veterans since July 2014;   Identified every chronically homeless person in the City of Boston and is currently helping them find  permanent supportive housing;   Housed 101 chronically homeless individuals since January 2016;   Piloted a centralized IT system to match homeless individuals with the housing and services they need; the platform is expected to roll out in August 2016;   Redesigned its housing and service delivery system for homeless individuals;   Hosted five "housing surge" events since November 2015, where representatives from government and nonprofit agencies gather in one place to assist homeless people in connecting with housing and housing resources;   Received a total of $425,000 in private endowments and grants, $900,000 in state housing vouchers, and $1.05 million in new City funding to support new efforts related to the system change across agencies and service providers.

Above-Average Gains in Home Renovation and Repair Spending Expected to Continue

Above-Average Gains in Home Renovation and Repair Spending Expected to Continue

                                                                                                 

CAMBRIDGE, MA – Over the coming year, homeowner remodeling activity is projected to accelerate, keeping the rate of growth above its long-term trend, according to the Leading Indicator of Remodeling Activity (LIRA) released today by the Remodeling Futures Program at the Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University. The LIRA anticipates growth in home improvement and repair expenditures will reach 8.0 percent by the start of 2017, well in excess of its 4.9 percent historical average.

“A healthier housing market, with rising house prices and increased sales activity, should translate into bigger gains for remodeling this year and next,” says Chris Herbert, Managing Director of the Joint Center. “As more homeowners are enticed to list their properties, we can expect increased remodeling and repair in preparation for sales, coupled with spending by the new owners who are looking to customize their homes to fit their needs.”

“By the middle of next year, the national remodeling market should be very close to a full recovery from its worst downturn on record,” says Abbe Will, Research Analyst in the Remodeling Futures Program at the Joint Center. “Annual spending is set to reach $321 billion by then, which after adjusting for inflation is just shy of the previous peak set in 2006 before the housing crash.”

Press release with full size graphic available at
http://www.jchs.harvard.edu/news/press_releases

NOTE ON LIRA MODEL: As of April 21, 2016, the LIRA has undergone a major re-benchmarking and recalculation in order to better forecast a broader segment of the national residential remodeling market. For more information on this, see our blog and read the research note Re-Benchmarking the Leading Indicator of Remodeling Activity.

The Leading Indicator of Remodeling Activity (LIRA) provides a short-term outlook of national home improvement and repair spending to owner-occupied homes. The indicator, measured as an annual rate-of-change of its components, is designed to project the annual rate of change in spending for the current quarter and subsequent four quarters, and is intended to help identify future turning points in the business cycle of the home improvement and repair industry. Originally developed in 2007, the LIRA was re-benchmarked in April 2016 to a broader market measure based on the biennial American Housing Survey.

The LIRA is released by the Remodeling Futures Program at the Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University in the third week after each quarter’s closing. The next LIRA release date is October 20, 2016.

The Remodeling Futures Program, initiated by the Joint Center for Housing Studies in 1995, is a comprehensive study of the factors influencing the growth and changing characteristics of housing renovation and repair activity in the United States. The Program seeks to produce a better understanding of the home improvement industry and its relationship to the broader residential construction industry.

The Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies advances understanding of housing issues and informs policy. Through its research, education, and public outreach programs, the center helps leaders in government, business, and the civic sectors make decisions that effectively address the needs of cities and communities. Through graduate and executive courses, as well as fellowships and internship opportunities, the Joint Center also trains and inspires the next generation of housing leaders. For more information, please visit www.jchs.harvard.edu.

AG HEALEY ANNOUNCES ENFORCEMENT OF BAN ON COPYCAT ASSAULT WEAPONS

AG HEALEY ANNOUNCES ENFORCEMENT OF BAN ON COPYCAT ASSAULT WEAPONS

In the Wake of Orlando Mass Shooting, AG Healey Warns Gun Makers, Dealers Against Selling Prohibited Assault Weapons in Massachusetts; Clarifies What Constitutes a Copycat Weapon

BOSTON –– Attorney General Maura Healey today issued a notice to all gun sellers and manufacturers in Massachusetts, warning that her office is stepping up enforcement of the state’s assault weapons ban, including a crackdown on the sale of copycat weapons.

The enforcement notice clarifies what constitutes a “copy” or “duplicate” weapon under the assault weapons ban. Copies or duplicates of banned assault rifles, including copies of the Colt AR-15 and the Kalishnikov AK-47, are prohibited by the Massachusetts assault weapons ban. Despite the law, an estimated 10,000 copycat assault weapons were sold in Massachusetts last year alone.

“The gun industry has openly defied our laws here in Massachusetts for nearly two decades,” said AG Healey. “That ends today. We have a moral and legal responsibility to ensure that combat-style weapons are off our streets and out of the hands of those who would use them to kill innocent people. Increasingly, these guns are the weapon of choice for mass shooters, and we will do everything we can to prevent the kinds of tragedies here that have occurred in places like Orlando, San Bernardino, Newtown and Aurora.”

The Massachusetts assault weapons ban mirrors the federal ban that expired in 2004. It prohibits the sale of specific and name-brand weapons and explicitly bans copies or duplicates of those weapons. Gun manufacturers, however, make and market what they call “state compliant” versions with minor tweaks to various parts of the weapon. Copycat guns are sold, for example, without a flash suppressor or with a fixed instead of folding stock. These changes do not make the weapon any less lethal and the weapons remain illegal.

The AG’s notice clarifies what constitutes a copy or duplicate weapon by outlining two tests. Under the tests, a weapon is a copy or duplicate if its internal operating system is essentially the same as those of a specifically-banned weapon or if the gun has key functional components that are interchangeable with those of a banned weapon.

The notice also states that assault weapons prohibited under state law, as manufactured, cannot be altered in any way to make their sale or possession legal in Massachusetts.

The notice makes clear that the guidance will not be enforced against gun owners who bought or sold these weapons prior to July 20, 2016. Dealers who currently have these weapons on hand are not permitted to sell them to Massachusetts buyers. They may transfer them out-of-state to jurisdictions where sales of these weapons are legal. The AG’s office expects substantial cooperation from gun sellers and will work to ensure that they understand and comply with the law. 

Today’s action is one more step in the AG’s effort to reduce gun violence in Massachusetts. Last year, AG Healey issued a notice to all 350 state gun dealers reminding them of their obligations under state law. Earlier this year, she led a multi-state effort urging Congress to lift the ban on gun-violence research by the Centers for Disease Control and is working with medical professionals to help develop guidelines for physicians to speak to their patients about guns in the home. AG Healey continues to investigate violations of the gun laws statewide.

THE MASSACHUSETTS SCHOOL BUILDING AUTHORITY ANNOUNCES $50 MILLION SCHOOL TECHNOLOGY INFRASTRUCTURE PARTNERSHIP LOAN PROGRAM

THE MASSACHUSETTS SCHOOL BUILDING AUTHORITY ANNOUNCES $50 MILLION SCHOOL TECHNOLOGY INFRASTRUCTURE PARTNERSHIP LOAN PROGRAM

The Board of the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA), Chaired by State Treasurer Deb Goldberg, voted today to approve the establishment of the MSBA Public School Information Technology Loan Program.

The MSBA IT Loan Program will fund projects in public schools across the Commonwealth, improving the student experience though the use of enhanced technology and increased broadband access. This will support an existing information technology grant program, the Digital Connections Partnership Schools Grant (“DCPSG”) program, that is currently being managed by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (“DESE”) and the Massachusetts Office of Information Technology (“MassIT”).

“We are excited to collaborate with DESE and MassIT through this loan program,” said Treasurer Deb Goldberg. “By making these loans available to school districts across the State, the MSBA is providing assistance for much needed IT infrastructure improvements for the thoughtful use of technology to support teaching and learning.”

“We are thrilled to begin this important and unique partnership with the Massachusetts School Building Authority to improve connectivity across public school districts in the Commonwealth,” said Governor Charlie Baker.

Through a collaborative effort across the agencies, the MSBA loan program will have $50,000,000 available over a five year period. Loans will be given to approved districts, with funding up to a maximum of $2.5 million per district. Loans will be available to pay for IT infrastructure on the basis of need as determined by DESE with the total cost of procuring and installing the equipment determined by MassIT. Since the inception of the DCPSG in 2014, 247 schools from 98 districts have applied for funding, with 70 schools in 25 districts having successfully received funding. 

“We live in an increasingly digital world. In order to provide a world-class education, our students and educators need access to 21st century technology. I’m thrilled that our agencies have partnered to upgrade school technology infrastructure for the benefit of our students,” said DESE Commissioner Mitchell Chester.

“As the state’s lead technology agency, MassIT is well-positioned to support our public schools’ digital teaching and learning efforts.  We are happy to help schools leverage the strength of the Commonwealth at the local level by providing IT expertise and economies of scale,” said Karthik Viswanathan, head of MassIT’s Office of Municipal & School Technology. 

The MSBA partners with Massachusetts communities to support the design and construction of educationally-appropriate, flexible, sustainable and cost-effective public school facilities. Since its 2004 inception, the Authority has made over 1,700 site visits to more than 250 school districts as part of its due diligence process and has made over $12 billion in reimbursements for school construction projects.

僑委會公布僑胞返台參加10月慶典資訊

海外僑胞回國參加中華民國105年十月慶典活動

參加資格及報到事宜答客問

一、   請問海外僑胞擬回國參加本年十月慶典，需要具備什麼資格？

答：海外僑胞回國參加105年十月慶典活動，須符合下述資格：

（一）旅居國外僑胞，符合下列情形之一者：

1、持我國護照入境，並持有效之僑居國居留證明文件（如僑居國護照、居留證等）或其護照已加簽僑居身分者。

2、持僑居國護照入境之國人或華裔人士。

（二）已取得僑居國護照或永久居留權之前項僑胞隨行配偶或子女，並經許可入國者，得以僑眷身分辦理報到。

（三）香港、澳門居民組團回國，應向我駐香港、澳門機構申請，核轉行政院大陸委員會辦理。個別回國者，不予受理。

二、   請問香港、澳門居民可不可以報名參加慶典活動？

答：

（一）僅具當地永久居民身分之香港、澳門居民回國參加慶典，應事先組團，並向我駐香港、澳門機構（臺北經濟文化辦事處）申請，經核轉行政院大陸委員會同意，函送本會受理報名；個別回國及自行組團者，均不受理。

（二）旅居國外之香港、澳門居民及大陸地區人民：

1、如持有有效僑居國護照者，得以「僑胞」身分報名參與慶典活動。

2、如尚未取得僑居國護照，但具有僑居國永久居留權，且為僑胞隨行之配偶或子女者，得以「僑眷」身分報名參與慶典活動，惟不適用補助僑胞國內旅遊經費。

3、是類人士之入國許可，須自行依一般規定辦理（例如以親屬關係事由申請），不得以返國參加慶典事由申請入國許可。

三、   請問外籍人士可不可以參加慶典活動？

答：平日友我、熱心參與僑社活動的外籍人士欲來臺參加十月慶典活動，經我駐外館處或駐外人員報會並個案核准者，同意受理報到，發給「參觀證」，俾持憑參加四海同心聯歡大會及國慶大會。

四、   請問僑胞回國參加慶典有沒有入境日期的限制？

答：僑胞回國參加慶典活動，只要符合「歡迎海外僑胞回國參加中華民國105年十月慶典活動須知」規定之參加資格者，並無入境日期的限制；惟若欲申請慶典旅遊補助，則須在105年9月1日（含）以後入境者始得申請。

五、   請問擬回國參加慶典的僑胞如何報名？

答：本年欲回國參加慶典的僑胞，請事先就「個別僑胞」或「僑團」擇一報名登記（請勿重複報名），辦理方式如下：

（一）個別僑胞：自105年7月1日起至8月31日止可採網路、傳真或通訊方式辦理，逾時恕不受理。

1、網路登記：請至僑務委員會網站（www.ocac.gov.tw）十月慶典活動專頁辦理。

2、傳真登記：請將填妥之僑胞登記表傳真至僑務委員會，傳真號碼：+886-2-23566323、+886-2-23566325；聯絡電話：+886-2-23272929。

3、通訊登記：請將填妥之僑胞登記表以快遞或掛號（以郵戳為憑）寄達僑務委員會。

（二）僑團：

1、各駐外使領館處及各地華僑文教服務中心自105年7月1日起受理僑團報名作業。

2、請依組團注意事項填妥慶賀團團冊及團員清冊，於105年8月31日前送交各駐外館處及各地華僑文教服務中心辦理團員資格初審。

3、各駐外館處及各地華僑文教服務中心應於105年9月15日前，將初審完成之僑團報名表件送達僑務委員會，逾時恕不受理。

4、報名僑胞請勿重複登記，隨行之僑眷請於團員清冊備註欄註明。

六、   請問已經事先採網路、傳真或通訊方式辦理報名登記的僑胞是不是還需辦理報到手續？

答：僑胞即使已事先辦理報名登記，仍須在105年10月5日至10月9日的報到時間，攜帶相關證件正本，到僑務委員會中華民國105年十月慶典回國僑胞接待服務處辦理報到，經審核符合參加資格者，發給僑胞證，才完成報到手續。

七、   請問沒有事先在105年7月1日至8月31日期間內辦理報名登記的僑胞可不可以補報名？

答：僑胞如果沒有事先於105年7月1日至8月31日期間辦理報名登記，逾時恕不受理，報到現場僅受理事先完成報名程序者。

八、   請問參加慶典活動需不需要先登記？

答：參加10月10日上午總統府廣場國慶大會採報名登記制，並按先後順序接受登記；為維護國家慶典之莊嚴，報名者並請全程參與（上午9時至中午12時）。

九、   請問要領取105年十月慶典活動「僑胞證」的報到時間是什麼時候？

答：報到時間如下：

（一）105年10月5日（星期三）至10月8日（星期六），每日上午9時至下午6時。

（二）105年10月9日（星期日），上午7時至晚上10時。

十、   請問辦理報到要攜帶那些文件？

答：辦理報到要攜帶下列文件：

（一）蓋有本次入國查驗章戳之證件正本（如我國護照、入國許可證或僑居國護照）；如係經由入出國自動查驗通關系統入境者，應檢具航空公司搭機證明等文件。

（二）僑居國居留證明文件正本（持有效我國護照已辦理僑居身分加簽者可免附）。

（三）以僑眷（僑胞隨行之配偶或子女）身分申請者，應檢具親屬關係證明文件。

註：未齊備證明文件者，恕無法受理報到。

十一、請問報到地點在那裡？

答：僑務委員會中華民國105年十月慶典回國僑胞接待服務處（臺北市中正區徐州路5號中央聯合辦公大樓南棟1樓，位址圖表如下）。

 

十二、請問個別僑胞可不可以併入僑團辦理報到及參與僑團活動？

答：個別僑胞擬併入僑團報到並參與僑團活動，可以經由僑團團長書面同意後，加入該僑團。

十三、請問僑胞組團是不是必須事先申請？可不可以在慶典報到期間現場組團？

答：各駐外館處及各地華僑文教服務中心從105年7月1日起開始受理僑團報名作業，請依組團注意事項填妥慶賀團團冊及團員清冊，於105年8月31日前送交各駐外館處及各地華僑文教服務中心辦理團員資格初審。各駐外館處及各地華僑文教服務中心應於105年9月15日前，將初審完成之僑團報名表件送達僑務委員會，逾時恕不受理。另外，旅行社自行招攬之觀光團不予受理以「僑團」方式報名。

十四、請問僑胞組團人數是否有規定？

答：僑胞組團回國參加十月慶典，每團以10人至40人為原則。

十五、請問申請慶典旅遊補助的僑胞必須符合那些條件？

答：本會為歡迎僑胞返國參加十月慶典，並配合推動國內觀光，特提供旅遊補助。申請慶典旅遊補助限參加105年10月3日至10月17日期間經本會甄選旅行社所提供之國內3天2夜（含）以上的旅遊活動，並且要符合下述的條件：

（一）105年9月1日（含）以後入境。

（二）自105年10月5日至10月9日於僑務委員會十月慶典回國僑胞接待服務處完成報到手續，領得「僑胞證」（參觀證不得申請旅遊補助），並出席105年10月9日「四海同心聯歡大會」或10月10日「國慶大會」。

註：「僑胞證」含正副聯兩部分，副聯是供折抵慶典旅遊費用使用，遺失恕不補發。

十六、請問慶典旅遊的金額是多少？

答：慶典旅遊是以補助僑胞參加國內旅遊的方式辦理，每人至多補助新臺幣2,400元（詳細規定請參閱「僑務委員會補助十月慶典回國僑胞參加旅遊活動作業要點」）。