"It is always painful for workers and their families when a company shuts down due to circumstances beyond its control," said Snowe and Collins in a joint statement. "In order to have the skills necessary to reenter the workforce in a different capacity, it is vital that the laid-off workers of Cushion Craft get additional training. Re-employment services will be provided by TAA and ATAA and we applaud the decision by the U.S. Department of Labor to grant it to these workers."
Cushion Craft is set to close its doors by the end of this month and attributes its decline in employment to a shift in production of blankets to China and Pakistan.
On January 19th, Senators Snowe and Collins announced the formation of a new Androscoggin County Community Task Force to assist Cushion Craft workers. The Androscoggin Community Task Force will be modeled after other successful efforts the Senators have spearheaded in communities across Maine in order to help displaced workers access available programs for job retraining, education, job search and relocation, and re-employment services. The Androscoggin County Community Task Force has worked with area agencies to coordinate a Resource Fair, scheduled for February 23, 2005, from 2-5pm at the Marion T. Morse Center in Lisbon, to which the employees of Cushion Craft and the public will be invited
Because the TAA and ATAA petitions were approved by the Department of Labor, the displaced workers of Cushion Craft 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.
###