WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King and Representative Bruce Poliquin announced that the U.S. Department of Labor has approved much-needed Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) for displaced employees at Twin Rivers Paper Company.

In July, Senators Collins and King and Representative Poliquin sent a letter to U.S. Department of Labor Secretary Thomas Perez in support of the TAA petition, which was filed in advance of the Madawaska mill shutting down one of its five paper machines.

TAA benefits have also been extended to some former Madison Paper workers who were not included in an initial TAA certification granted when the mill closed last spring, including on-site contractors.

“This announcement is welcome news for the hardworking men and women at Twin Rivers who have, through no fault of their own, lost their jobs as a result of foreign competition,” said Senators Collins and King and Representative Poliquin in a joint statement. “TAA programs provide a crucial lifeline that enables displaced workers to acquire the new skills and training necessary to prepare for and pursue jobs in other industries so they can get back on their feet more quickly and continue making critical contributions to Maine’s communities and economy.”

TAA is a program of the Department of Labor that helps workers who have lost their jobs as a result of increased imports or a shift of production outside of the United States. TAA provides these trade-affected workers with a variety of reemployment services and benefits to help them find new jobs and get back to work.

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