SNOWE, COLLINS ANNOUNCE TRADE ADJUSTMENT ASSISTANCE FOR CALLEY & CURRIER COMPANY WORKERS

WASHINGTON, DC – Senators Olympia Snowe (R-ME) and Susan Collins (R-ME) today announced that displaced Calley & Currier Company workers in Patten, Maine have been granted Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) and Alternative Trade Adjustment Assistance (ATAA) by the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL). Calley & Currier Company produced hardwood veneer at a plant in Patten, ME. Its closure is a result of a shift in production to a facility in Brazil.

"The closure of Calley & Currier will have a tremendous impact on its employees, families, and the entire Patten community," Snowe and Collins said in a joint statement. "Fortunately, this Trade Adjustment Assistance will provide those affected workers with the necessary tools to get back on their feet and back into the workforce."

Because the TAA and ATAA petitions were approved by the Department of Labor, the displaced workers of Calley & Company will have access to such benefits as training, education, job search and relocation allowances, and re-employment services including counseling, interview training, and resume assistance. Health care tax credits and unemployment benefits extensions are also established for a company that has received TAA certification.

Alternative Trade Adjustment Assistance (ATAA) is a program for older workers displaced by trade. It is granted if a significant number of workers at the firm are age 50 or over and possess skills that are not easily transferable.

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