US Steel workers in Fairfield eligible for financial assistance

INFORMATION FROM THE U.S. DEPT. OF LABOR:

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor today announced that workers at U.S. Steel Corp. in Fairfield, Ala., are now eligible to apply for Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA), which can provide additional financial support for workers while they retrain for new occupations.

“The U.S. Department of Labor is committed to supporting all workers, including those who are faced with the prospect of layoffs or work reduction resulting from trade,” said Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis.  “Through the Trade Adjustment Assistance program, we are leveraging opportunities for displaced workers to acquire the skills needed to secure good jobs in promising areas of their local economies.”

Approximately 2,900 workers from companies in seven states — Alabama, California, Michigan, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin — are being declared eligible today for additional assistance.

Workers covered by these latest TAA certifications will be contacted by their respective states with instructions on how to apply for individual benefits and services. Those who apply may receive case management and re-employment services, training in new occupational skills and trade readjustment allowances that provide income support for workers enrolled in training. Some workers may also receive job search and relocation allowances, and the Health Coverage Tax Credit (HCTC).

Workers 50 years of age and older may elect to receive Re-employment Trade Adjustment Assistance (RTAA). If a worker obtains new employment at wages less than $55,000 and less than those earned in adversely affected employment, the RTAA program will pay 50 percent of the difference between the old wage and the new wage, up to $12,000 over a two-year period. RTAA participants may also be eligible for retraining and the HCTC.

For more information on TAA and the range of Department of Labor employment and training services, visit http://www.doleta.gov.