U.S. Senators Olympia J. Snowe and Susan Collins today requested that the U.S. Department of Labor approve a Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) petition filed on behalf of the 138 workers at SAS Shoemakers in Pittsfield who lost their jobs after the company announced that it is closing its facility. Senators Snowe and Collins sent a letter to Labor Secretary Elaine Chao requesting a timely review of the petition recently filed by the Maine Department of Labor for the workers directly impacted.
“This is a devastating blow to the hard-working individuals who will lose their jobs through no fault of their own,” said Senators Snowe and Collins. “We will do all we can to assist these workers and their families receive the resources that they will need in the coming months. Trade Adjustment Assistance is a critical component in this process and we look forward to working with the Department of Labor to provide timely assistance to the SAS Shoemakers’ employees.”
The purpose of the TAA program is to aid workers who lose their jobs or whose hours of work and wages decrease as a result of increased imports from, or shifts in production to, foreign countries. If the TAA petition is approved, displaced workers will be eligible for employment training in another job or career, income support, job search allowance, and relocation services for individuals who obtain jobs outside of their normal commuting area.
Included is text of the letter
The Honorable Elaine Chao, Secretary
United States Department of Labor
200 Constitution Avenue, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20210
Dear Secretary Chao:
We are writing on behalf of 138 workers at SAS Shoemakers in Pittsfield, Maine who will be displaced due to the closure of this facility. The company attributes the closure to competition with foreign companies, specifically increased imports of foreign-made competitive shoes and increased purchasing of those foreign imports by its customers.
The Maine Department of Labor has informed our offices that a Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) petition has been filed on behalf of the workers. Given that the company is situated in Somerset County, one of the more economically distressed counties in Maine, the effort these workers will have to make to find alternative employment will be extensive. The most recent unemployment figures released by the Maine Department of Labor indicate that Somerset County’s not seasonally adjusted unemployment rate is 7.7%. There is an immediate need for employment services and retraining for these workers who, regrettably, lost their jobs through no fault of their own. Thus, it is absolutely crucial that these workers receive certification under the TAA program.
We strongly support this Trade Adjustment Assistance application and urge that you review it in a timely manner to ensure that the workers receive the assistance they need to recover from their job loss and to help reduce the negative affects this action will have on their financial stability.
Thank you for your time and consideration on behalf of the workers at SAS Shoemakers in Pittsfield, Maine.