WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King announced today that the petition for Trade Adjustment Assistance for the approximately 200 workers displaced from Lincoln Paper and Tissue has been approved by the U.S. Department of Labor.  Labor Secretary Thomas Perez delivered the news in a phone call with Senator Collins.

Displaced workers will be eligible for employment training in another job or career, income support, job search allowances, and relocation services for those individuals who obtain jobs outside of their normal commuting area.

“This assistance will be critical in helping these workers, many of whom have worked at the mill throughout their entire careers, to pursue alternative job opportunities,” Senators Collins and King said in a joint statement. “We will continue to work together to support the workers, and their families, affected by this layoff to help ensure that they receive the federal assistance and resources they need to move forward."

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.  In December, Senators Collins and King sent a letter to Labor Secretary Thomas Perez urging him to quickly approve this assistance. 

In addition, Senator Collins met with Secretary Perez morning and asked him to swiftly approve the assistance, and she spoke directly with President Obama last week about the layoffs in Lincoln and the importance of investing in training programs to help people who have lost their jobs, through no fault of their own, find jobs in fields where they do exist.

# # #