U.S. Department of Labor certifies more than 900 Michigan auto workers as eligible to apply for Trade Adjustment Assistance

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced that more than 900 workers from Delphi Steering in Saginaw, Mich., are eligible to apply for Trade Adjustment Assistance.

"The Department of Labor is committed to supporting workers who lose their jobs through no fault of their own and who are in need of retraining," said Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis. "The support provided under the Trade Adjustment Assistance program will help get these auto workers back into good paying jobs."

Workers covered by this certification will be contacted by the state with instructions on how to apply for individual benefits and services. Those who do 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.

Workers 50 years of age and older may elect to receive Re-employment Trade Adjustment Assistance (RTAA), which was created under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. 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 Health Coverage Tax Credit.

"We know that the economic downturn impacted workers across our auto communities, including suppliers and the communities that rely on auto employment," said Dr. Ed Montgomery, executive director of the White House Council on Auto Communities and Workers. "The White House council will continue to work with Secretary Solis and other members of the administration to deliver support to these workers and the communities in which they live and work."

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