WASHINGTON, DC- U.S. Senator Bob Casey today sent a letter to Brian Kennedy, Assistant Secretary for Congressional and Intergovernmental Affairs at the United States Department of Labor, in support of a petition for Trade Adjustment Assistance submitted on behalf of nearly 1,500 employees who are to be laid off from the Erie plant. Trade Adjustment Assistance would help workers to find new jobs or careers quickly and help protect the workers and their families while they are unemployed in the event that the economy does not progress to the point where the layoffs can be averted.
“As I am sure you are aware, Erie has been severely affected by the current recession, with the unemployment rate rising to 9.7 percent as of July,” wrote Senator Casey. “I am deeply concerned about the difficulties these workers will face in their career searches under such conditions. I hope that by receiving Trade Adjustment Assistance these workers will be able to make a transition to new jobs or careers quickly and minimize the effect their job loss will have on themselves, their families, and the local economy.
Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) is a program to provide a variety of training, job search and relocation allowances, as well as income and health insurance support to workers who have lost their jobs due to foreign competition.
Earlier this month, GE Transportation announced plans to permanently eliminate positions in Northwestern Pennsylvania. Each plant has the opportunity to apply for TAA funding separately.
Full text of the letter is below.
Dear Mr. Kennedy:
I am writing to support the expeditious processing and a favorable decision for the Trade Adjustment Assistance Petition submitted on behalf of the nearly 1,500 GE Transportation employees in Erie, Pennsylvania. It is my understanding that this facility has suffered from a decline in domestic sales of locomotives, receiving not even a single domestic order for a locomotive so far this year, and that the production has become more and more focused on meeting the demand of foreign markets. I understand that as production has shifted to meeting the demand of foreign markets, an increasing portion of the work has been transferred from Erie to locations closer to these customers, or to the customers themselves.
As I am sure you are aware, Erie has been severely affected by the current recession, with the unemployment rate rising to 9.7 percent as of July. I am deeply concerned about the difficulties these workers will face in their career searches under such conditions. I hope that by receiving Trade Adjustment Assistance these workers will be able to make a transition to new jobs or careers quickly and minimize the effect their job loss will have on themselves, their families, and the local economy.
If you have any questions or need additional assistance, please contact me. Thank you for your attention to this request.
Sincerely,
Robert P. Casey, Jr.
United States Senator
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