CONTACT: Dick Jones, Agency Liaison, 608-267-4780
On the web: http://dwd.wisconsin.gov/dwd/newsreleases/2009/091109_taa_chrysler_engine_plant_kenosha.pdf
Employment, training services for 315 workers displaced by foreign competition
MADISON – Governor Jim Doyle today announced that 315 dislocated workers at the Chrysler engine plant in Kenosha are eligible to apply for additional re-employment and training services under the federal Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) program.
“This additional assistance will help these workers increase their job skills and find new employment,” Governor Doyle said. “The employment and training services now available to these workers will help them re-enter the workforce and support themselves and their families.”
The U.S. Department of Labor has determined that the workers, who built V-6 engines for the Chrysler Sebring and Dodge Avenger, were displaced due to imports. The agency previously certified TAA assistance for workers at the Chrysler assembly plant in Sterling Heights, Mich. In reviewing the TAA petition on behalf of Kenosha workers, the department said the same factors apply. All workers totally or partially separated from employment on or after May 27, 2008, through September 2, 2011, are eligible to apply for assistance.
The Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development (DWD) will administer the federally funded services, which are available through local Job Centers. They include retraining and re-employment services tailored to meet the needs of individual workers. These workers can now apply for the following TAA services:
* Training for employment in another job or career,
* Income Support, known as trade readjustment allowances (TRA),
* Job Search Allowance to cover expenses seeking employment outside normal commuting areas, and
* Relocation Allowances for approved relocation expenses in moving to a new area of employment.
“These are services that we and our local partners can provide affected workers, to help connect them with employers in search of workers with the right skills,” DWD Secretary Roberta Gassman said.
In June, Governor Doyle announced that the U.S. Department of Labor expanded the amount of TAA funds available nationwide to $575 million from $220 million as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009. The additional funding will help states serve an increasing number of trade-affected workers. More information on the TAA program is available at http://www.doleta.gov.
Individuals interested in receiving re-employment assistance should contact a local Job Center or visit http://www.wisconsinjobcenter.org/directory/ to find a Job Center nearby. The nearest Job Center location also can be found by calling (888) 258-9966 toll free.
