Norfolk Ford Plant employees will be eligible for adjustment assistance under the Trade Act of 1974, according to an announcement by Governor Tim Kaine today. According to the release, the Federal Trade Act assistance “opens doors to a key set of healthcare, training and extended jobless benefits.”
The press release indicates that companies that supply the Ford Plant will be able to use Ford’s certification to obtain benefits for their own employees. This is good news for the suppliers, which employ about 600 workers.
Among the benefits available under the Trade Act:
- Extended dislocated worker benefits and unemployment
- Insurance premium payment assistance
- Training assistance, including tuition, books, supplies, subsistence income replacement, and other benefits
Anyone here have experience with the actual trade adjustment assistance? I used to argue free trade with my int’l trade colleagues down the hall, and they always pointed to trade adjustment assistance as the solution for redundant US workers. I am somewhat skeptical that it is really that useful in practice (shocking, I know).
While I’m still very much in favor of free trade in theory, I have to say that I’m rapidly losing faith, and I’m beginning to give a much more sympathetic ear to unions and others than I used to. I’ll never be a jingoistic Lou Dobbs protectionist, but neither am I going to support a rapid race to the lowest common denominator.
Posted by MB | Friday, December 15, 2006, 7:10 pmThis is great!! We have plenty of “associates” working with Ford that deserve this.
Posted by Inena P. Rice | Sunday, December 17, 2006, 1:51 am