U.S. Department of Labor certifies more than 600 Tennessee auto workers as eligible for Trade Adjustment Assistance

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced that more than 600 workers from Goodyear Tire and Rubber Co. in Union City, Tenn., are eligible to apply for Trade Adjustment Assistance.

"These Goodyear workers have for years produced automotive components and now deserve our support as they transfer their talents to careers in promising regional industries," said Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis. "Workers impacted by these layoffs will have the opportunity to apply for employment-related services needed to enter good jobs that pay family-supporting wages."

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.

"Workers at auto suppliers like Goodyear have been hard hit during this economic crisis. This certification will allow workers to access funds that will ensure that they and their families receive much needed help," said Dr. Ed Montgomery, executive director of the White House Council on Auto Communities and Workers. "The White House council's priority is to work with Secretary Solis and other members of the administration to cut red tape so that workers and communities get the assistance they need."

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