SENATORS SNOWE, COLLINS APPLAUD LABOR DEPARTMENT’S EXTENSION OF ASSISTANCE TO NATIONAL STARCH WORKERS IN ISLAND FALLS

U.S. Senators Olympia J. Snowe and Susan Collins today announced that all workers who will be displaced as a result of the recent layoffs at National Starch and Chemical Company's Specialty Starches Divison in Island Falls are eligible for Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA). The Department of Labor amended its initial TAA certification to include workers leased from Page Employment who worked on-site at the Island Falls firm.

"This is welcome news, which we hope will bring some sense of relief to all of the hard-working individuals at National Starch who, through no fault of their own, lost their jobs. The current economic climate, coupled with high unemployment, makes it critical that these displaced workers and their families receive the assistance they need as they struggle to get back on their feet as quickly as possible," said Senators Snowe and Collins in a joint statement.

Trade Adjustment Assistance is a federal program established under the Trade Act of 1974. The purpose of TAA is to aid workers who lose their jobs or whose hours of work and wages decrease as a result of trade-related foreign competition. Following the approval of a TAA petition, the displaced workers will be eligible for employment training in another job or career, income support, job search allowance, and relocation services for individuals who obtain jobs outside of their normal commuting area.