SENATOR SUSAN COLLINS REITERATES CALL FOR ASSISTANCE FOR HATHAWAY SHIRT WORKERS

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Susan Collins has contacted Labor Secretary Elaine Chao to renew her request for an expedited decision on a pending petition for Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) for former and potentially future displaced employees at Waterville Shirt Company, formerly C.F. Hathaway in Waterville.

In January, after 30 workers lost their jobs, a TAA petition was filed. On March 18, 2002, the company announced its intention to close the Waterville plant and lay off an additional 278 employees.

"This news, coupled with the 30 job losses that January 2002 petition, makes the application especially critical now," said Senator Collins. "The impact of these job losses on the community, the employees, and their families will be staggering. Given the impact that the Waterville Shirt Company job losses will have on a region that already has suffered significantly from recent layoffs from paper industry, I urged Secretary Chao to grant the TAA petition and to do so as soon as possible."

Senator Collins told Secretary Chao that there is "not a more pressing issue than addressing the serious impact associated with these job losses."