Thursday, September 10, 2009
Kenosha Chrysler workers eligible for assistance
The U.S. Department of Labor announced Thursday that workers from Chrysler’s engine plant in Kenosha, are eligible to receive Trade Adjustment Assistance.
The Kenosha workers are part of a larger group of about 3,500 auto workers from companies in nine states certified this week.
“Auto workers around the country are facing reduced hours and layoffs as a direct result of foreign competition,” U.S. Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis said. “These workers deserve our support as they upgrade current skills or seek out new careers in promising regional industries.”
The TAA certification issued Thursday will provide assistance to the more than 300 workers who lost their jobs at the Kenosha engine plant,” said Ed Montgomery, executive director of the White House Council on Automotive Communities and Workers. “The White House Council will continue to work with communities and workers adversely impacted by the downturn in the auto industry to ensure they receive needed assistance such as TAA while creating opportunities for growth and revitalization.”
Workers covered by TAA certification will be contacted by their respective states with instructions on how to apply for individual benefits and services. Those who apply may receive case management and re-employment services, training in new occupational skills and trade readjustment allowances that provide income support for workers enrolled in training. Some workers may also receive job search and relocation allowances, and a health coverage tax credit.
Workers 50 years of age and older may elect to receive Re-employment Trade Adjustment Assistance. If a worker obtains new employment at wages less than $55,000 and less than those earned in adversely affected employment, the RTAA program will pay 50 percent of the difference between the old wage and the new wage, up to $12,000 over a two-year period. RTAA participants may also be eligible for retraining and the health care tax credit.
“The workers at the Chrysler plant are among the best in the world,” Gov. Jim Doyle said. “These funds will be important to the workers and their families and to the well-being of the Kenosha community.”
LINK:
Kenosha Chrysler workers eligible for assistance - The Business Journal of Milwaukee:
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