WASHINGTON, DC – Senators Olympia Snowe (R-ME) and Susan Collins (R-ME) today announced that displaced Vishay Sprague Sanford, Inc. workers in Sanford, Maine have been granted Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) and Alternative Trade Adjustment Assistance (ATAA) by the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL). This decision also includes contract workers of Manpower Sanford and Manpower Technical. "It is extremely unfortunate that Vishay Sprague Sanford has been forced to close its doors," said Snowe and Collins in a joint statement, "The closure will have a tough effect on the workers, their families, and the entire community. It can be a challenge for workers who have devoted much of their lives to one company to find new jobs and often entirely new careers. We sincerely hope that the trade adjustment assistance provided by the Department of Labor will help workers make the transition to a new career and quickly secure alternative employment. We stand ready to assist them in any way possible." Vishay Sprague Sanford, Inc. produced tantalum capacitors and attributes its decline in employment to a shift in production to Israel. The worker group includes on-site leased workers from Manpower Sanford and Manpower Technical. Because the TAA and ATAA petitions were approved by the Department of Labor, the displaced workers of Vishay Sprague Sanford 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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