U.S. Department of Labor certifies more than 1,750 Arizona workers as eligible for Trade Adjustment Assistance

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced that more than 1,750 copper anode production workers from Freeport – McMoran Inc. of Morenci, Ariz., are eligible to apply for Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA).

"These workers are in need of good new jobs, and we as a nation are in need of their talent and dedication in our workforce," said Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis. "TAA is one tool that can help workers through a dislocation and enter new careers in promising regional industries."

Workers covered by these certifications 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.

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