Benefits for Michigan Residents Whose Jobs were Shipped Overseas to Expire Tomorrow

Statement

Starting tomorrow, many laid-off Michigan residents will find themselves denied access to a support program for workers whose jobs were shipped overseas. Yesterday, Republicans in the Senate blocked a continuation of provisions of the Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) program that expire Saturday, a move that could deny tens of thousands of Michiganders from accessing assistance that helps them transition to a new job. G.O.P. Senators have said they are stopping a TAA extension because they are using the program as leverage in an attempt to force passage of a free trade agreement with the nation of Colombia.

"This is a key safeguard not just for Michigan families when their jobs are outsourced, but also for Michigan's entire economy," said Senator Stabenow. "TAA helps people who lost their jobs through no fault of their own to transition into new hi-tech jobs, and Michigan will be hit harder than any state by these political games. Support for people whose jobs were shipped overseas has had bipartisan support in the past. Politics over another issue shouldn't derail that bipartisan support now."

TAA allows those people whose jobs were outsourced to access retraining programs, as well as temporary income assistance and reduced-price health care coverage as they seek to reenter the workforce. With over 33,000 residents participating in the program, Michigan has more people utilizing TAA than any other state-in fact, Michigan has more people enrolled in the program than 30 other states combined.

In 2009, an update to TAA was enacted to help the program reflect the realities of today's global economy. Created in 1974, TAA originally did not allow service workers to take part in the program, and only those whose jobs were shipped to a country with which the United States has a free trade agreement qualified-in other words, workers whose jobs were sent to China and India were turned away. The 2009 update allowed service workers and those whose jobs were offshored to any country to apply.

The TAA update was originally enacted on a short-term basis through the end of 2010. In December, a six-week extension was passed, continuing the new provisions until Saturday, February 12. Passage of another extension this week was necessary to continue these provisions further, but Republican's blocked the extension in a late session Thursday.

Of the 33,000 Michigan residents currently enrolled in TAA, approximately 40% would not have qualified without the 2009 update. Those who have enrolled prior to February 12 will continue to receive their benefits, but as TAA reverts to its old form, tens of thousands of laid-off Michigan workers could be denied entry to the program in the coming months if Republicans do not drop their opposition to an extension.

Source