|
Updated: 6:38 PM Jan 12, 2009
Alcoa families needing assistance after layoffs
Alcoa has announced plans to layoff 450 employees in this latest round of layoffs, but what assistance will be out there to help their families get back on their feet?
Posted: 6:29 PM Jan 12, 2009Reporter: Stephen McLamb Email Address: Stephen.McLamb@wvlt-tv.com |
|
6 Comments 
Alcoa has announced plans to layoff 450 employees in this latest round of layoffs, but what assistance will be out there to help their families get back on their feet?
Some say the biggest assistance will be another job.
So far, that's hard to come by.
Groups plan to meet with the members to let them know their options.
"That was hard. These two months after the layoff, there's no jobs out there," says Michael Sines.
Sines says he was the last in the pot rooms at Alcoa's south plant to get laid off in November but finding a job hasn't been easy.
"Got a couple good prospects but prospects don't pay bills," says Sines.
Soon, 450 Alcoa employees will be laid off and need assistance.
The local United Steel Workers Union president says the first thing will be to get the state department of labor representatives to the union hall.
"And assist them at that time filling out their unemployment applications," says local union president Brickey Beasley.
Meanwhile, the AFL-CIO hopes to help by helping displaced workers get approved for trade adjustment assistance.
"That will help them get 65% of their COBRA paid," says Suzanne Coile, the director of the AFL-CIO's technical assistance program.
Coile says they've also got a program called Connecting People With Possibilities to help displaced workers find jobs in the area and all across the United States.
"What things that their skills transfer into, other type of work for them," says Coile.
Meanwhile, local economic development officials are working ahead, speaking to corporate CEO's who wish to invest in the area with such a large labor pool of workers coming into the market.
"We've been working this weekend on that, those very issues and today we've been making some calls and have had some good traction on it," says Bryan Daniels, executive vice-president of the Blount County Economic Development Board.
Daniels says he can't be definitive at this time but hopes answers will be only weeks away.
Course, for people like Michael Sines, the best assistance he's hoping to get will be a new job.
Latest Comments
Listen I work at Alcoa and I am 4 job grades above the pot rooms. We have a 64hr contract so there is no way you can make 150-190k. I have a family that I support with my income so before you go posting a rude and false comment like that JOHN you need get you facts straight.
Who makes $150,000/yr. at Alcoa? With pay at less than $20/hour, how is anyone going to come anywhere near that number? Do the math-it doesn't add up. I worked for Alcoa for over thirty years, and I never hit $60,000 in one year. And I was a skilled tradesman at the highest pat grade in the plant. This is as stupid as those reports that autoworkers made $71/hr.
Like john said they made 150-190k a year....I make 40k if I am lucky so no I don't feel sorry for them. Go collect unemployment or find another job.
- Still more cats found in condemned Knox Co. home, dogs up for adoption
29 Comments - Sheriff: Facebook spat led to shooting deaths
6 Comments - More than a dozen kids taken to the hospital for drinking
6 Comments - Pill dealer 'back in business' after multiple arrests
4 Comments - Heiskell animal hoarders who housed exotic animals plead guilty, sentenced
4 Comments - Josh Powell had "incestuous" images on his home computer, authorities say
3 Comments
| Powered: Local.com |
| Popular Searches |
- .DJI
- 12801.23
- -89.23
- -0.69%
- .INX
- 1342.64
- -9.31
- -0.69%
- .IXIC
- 2903.88
- -23.35
- -0.80%
- NYA
- 7992.03
- -89.22
- -1.10%
Quotes updated every 15 minutes
