WASHINGTON, D.C. – In a letter today, U.S. Senator Olympia J Snowe and U.S. Senator Susan Collins urged Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao to support a Petition for Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) for 142 displaced workers of Prime Tanning in Berwick, Maine.
“This TAA assistance is critical for helping Prime Tanning’s employees get back on their feet during this hardship,” commented the Senators in a joint statement. “Far too often our dedicated workers are losing jobs because of the impact of foreign competition. Additionally, we will continue to support those workers impacted by the company’s shutdown and make sure they get the aid and resources they need.”
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 trade-related foreign competition. If the TAA petition is approved, the displaced tannery 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.
The full text of the letter follows:
We are writing on behalf of 142 workers at Prime Tanning Company, Inc. in Berwick, Maine, who will be displaced as the result of the company’s decision to close this facility and shift its production operations to its other installations, including its plant in Shanghai, China. We understand from the company that it has filed a Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) petition on behalf of its workers.
Prime Tanning Company operates the largest vertically integrated wet blue and side-leather finishing tanneries in North America. It produces side-leather for some of the largest and best known leather brands in the world, with products that serve high quality footwear, handbag, upholstery and specialty markets worldwide, as well as the US military. Its Berwick facility features over 200,000 square feet of production, Research and Development and office space and serves as its finished product operation.
As a result of this closure announcement, there is an immediate need for employment services and perhaps retraining for these workers who, regrettably, will lose their jobs through no fault of their own. We request that you review this Trade Adjustment Assistance petition in a timely manner to ensure that the workers receive the assistance they need to mitigate the loss of employment and to help reduce the negative affects that foreign trade has had on their financial security. This assistance is of paramount importance to us, the workers and to the families they support.
Thank you for your time and consideration on behalf of the workers at Prime Tanning Company, Inc. in Berwick, Maine.