Submitted article
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) today announced that employees of GE Power Electronics, Inc. in Galion are eligible to apply for trade adjustment assistance through the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL). Eligible employees include workers who were partially or totally separated from employment on or after October 17, 2013. This eligibility continues for up to two years after the September 9, 2015 date of certification.
“The loss of a job can be a devastating experience,” Brown said. “Ohioans who work hard and play by the rules should not be left to struggle when they lose their job through no fault of their own. These resources will help ensure that displaced workers in Galion receive the financial support and training opportunities needed for a fresh start.”
TAA is a federal program that identifies workers who have lost their jobs or seen hours or wages reduced as a result of increased imports and helps them prepare for new careers. The program extends benefits including training for employment in another job or career, income support, job search allowances, and relocation allowances. Qualified workers may quickly return to work through a combination of these services. DOL estimates that since 1975, two million workers nationwide have relied on TAA to make ends meet and receive training necessary to find a new job.
Brown has been a long-time advocate for the TAA program and efforts to ensure that workers have the training and tools they need to fill jobs in high-growth industries. In June, Brown voted to extend the TAA program through 2020 and fund it annually at $450 million.
During the Senate’s consideration of TAA in May, Brown offered an amendment that would have funded the program at its previous annual level of $575 million. During the Senate Finance Committee’s April markup of the legislation, Brown filed an amendment to this effect, as well as other amendments to make more workers, including service sector workers and those who have lost their jobs to countries with which the U.S. does not have a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) – such as China, eligible for TAA benefits. He also filed an amendment to further expand TAA eligibility to include public sector workers, in effect making all workers eligible for TAA.
In February, Brown introduced the Trade Adjustment Assistance Act to extend and improve TAA for displaced workers. Between 2009 and 2014, TAA provided retraining assistance to more than 20,000 Ohio workers who lost their jobs to foreign trade.
In November 2014, Brown successfully led a group of 14 senators in calling on the Senate Appropriations Committee to maintain funding for the TAA program so workers could continue to receive benefits through September 2015. In February 2011, Brown led 13 senators in urging House leadership to extend TAA. As one of the last acts before 111th Congress adjourned, Brown secured a six-week extension of the TAA program, in addition to the HCTC.