Thursday, November 01, 2007; Posted: 11:10 PM
TRA provides assistance to people who lose jobs or significant work hours because of increased imports or a shift in production out of the United States.
TRA-certified workers can access services such as income support, relocation and job search allowances, and health coverage tax credits, according to a news release from the Oklahoma Employ ment Security Commission.
Those who need retraining for suitable employment may receive occupational training. The goal is to reconnect laid-off workers with suitable employment quickly.
"Some former IBM employees applied for and received approval for some retraining assistance under the U.S. Department of Labor's Trade Readjustment Assistance Act. That approval apparently covered anyone laid off in Tulsa by IBM over the last five years. And by our account that's roughly 70 people," said Jeff Tieszen, an IBM company spokesman.
"IBM
didn't really play any role in that decision other than to provide information to the Department of Labor," he added.
To qualify for TRA, workers must be laid off or threatened with layoff. Also, employer sales or production must de crease. Finally, increased imports of products like or directly competitive with the employer's products must contribute to layoffs or the threat of layoffs.
Once certified, TRA recipients must enroll in training, although the state can waive this requirement in certain cases, according to the OESC's release.
IBM workers in Tulsa who became separated from employment on or after Nov. 26, 2002, through two years from the date of certification are eligible to apply for the assistance, according to the Department of Labor. The first day of eligibility, or the date of certification, is May 2, 2007.
To apply for assistance, employees should contact their nearest Workforce Oklahoma Center at (888) 980-9675.
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Laurie Winslow 581-8466
laurie.winslow@tulsaworld.com
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