U.S. Senators Olympia J. Snowe and Susan Collins today requested that the U.S. Department of Labor approve a Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) petition filed on behalf of the 140 employees at Sensata Technologies in Standish who lost their jobs after the company announced that it is moving its operations to the Dominican Republic. Snowe and Collins sent a letter to Labor Secretary Elaine Chao requesting a timely review of the petition recently filed by the Maine Department of Labor for the workers directly impacted.
“It is certainly bad news that so many hard working individuals have lost their job through no fault of their own. We stand willing to assist in any way possible to ensure that the Sensata Technologies workers and their families will get the resources they need in the upcoming months,” said Senator Snowe and Collins in a joint statement. “Trade Adjustment Assistance is a critical component in this process and we look forward to working with the Department of Labor to provide timely assistance to the Sensate Technologies employees.”
The purpose of the TAA program is to aid workers who lose their jobs or whose hours of work and wages decrease as a result of increased imports. If the TAA petition is approved, displaced Sensata Technologies 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.
Included is text of the letter:
The Honorable Elaine Chao
Secretary
United States Department of Labor
200 Constitution Avenue, N.W.
Washington, DC 20210
Dear Secretary Chao:
We are writing on behalf of 140 workers at Sensata Technologies in Standish, Maine, who were displaced when the company announced earlier this year that it is moving its production operations to the Dominican Republic. We appreciate your rapid response in approving the National Emergency Grant application that was submitted on behalf of these workers back in June.
Most recently, the Maine Department of Labor informed us that the company has filed a Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) petition on behalf of the workers. There is an immediate need for employment services and perhaps retraining for these workers who, regrettably, lost their jobs through no fault of their own. We urge that you review this Trade Adjustment Assistance application in a timely manner to ensure that the workers receive the assistance they need to help them recover from the job loss and to help reduce the negative affects this action will have on their financial stability.
Please notify us when you reach a decision on this matter. Thank you for your attention to this pressing issue on behalf of the dislocated workers and their families from Sensata Technologies in Standish, Maine.
Sincerely,
OLYMPIA J. SNOWE SUSAN M. COLLINS
United States Senator United States Senator
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