Alcoa families needing assistance after layoffs

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Posted: 6:29 PM Jan 12, 2009
Last Updated: 6:38 PM Jan 12, 2009
Reporter: Stephen McLamb
Email Address: Stephen.McLamb@wvlt-tv.com

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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.

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Comments are posted from viewers like you and do not always reflect the views of this station.

Posted by: Nicholas on Jan 14, 2009 at 07:16 PM
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.

Posted by: Bruce Location: Massena, NY on Jan 14, 2009 at 01:29 AM
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.

Posted by: Anonymous on Jan 13, 2009 at 03:04 PM
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.

Posted by: United I stand Location: Knoxville on Jan 12, 2009 at 09:00 PM
We need to unite and help each other out as much as we can. support our local stores and go out and spend, but lets be very careful how much we spend. buy things on credit but not as much so that you can pay it back ASAP. The only reason why we made it after 9/11 was because we were united. The salvation army also made it last holiday thanks to our positive thinking. Lets get rid of the long face and put a smile on our faces even during this difficult time. A negative number plus a negative number equals to a negative number. A positive number plus a positive number equals to a positive number. Same applies to the human mind. Negative thinking creates fear, and fear creates violence and sometimes war. Positive thinking creates motivation and success!! I am a very positive person, even my blood type says B positive.

Posted by: John Location: Knoxville on Jan 12, 2009 at 08:46 PM
While I hate losing my job when I hired into this company I knew this was always possible. Thats why I save for a rainning day. They pay us very good money here in the pot rooms. Me and my family have saved enuff to live for 2-3 years without working a day. Half these guys out here go out and but the 250k money and 3 or 4 cars and spend money like it grows on trees so dont feel to sorry for us. We on average make 150-190k a year with are overtime so dont feel to sorry for us

Posted by: Unemployed Miner Location: New Market on Jan 12, 2009 at 08:28 PM
And what about the 350 people laid off at the mines? They didn't make near the money these guys were and have virtually no skills that can be used in other industry. Forget about what someone is going to do to help you, we have to help ourselves. All these bailouts for big companies that were poorly managed and what about those of us losing our jobs, cars, homes and futures? If they want to help us let the big compaines start paying their fair share of taxes and let the little people keep more in their pocket.

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