| Free trade workers laid off get compensation { August 2 2005 } Original Source Link: (May no longer be active) http://www.lacrossetribune.com/articles/2005/08/02/news/z01trane00802.txthttp://www.lacrossetribune.com/articles/2005/08/02/news/z01trane00802.txt
Published - Tuesday, August 02, 2005 Laid-off workers to get federal dollars
By STEVE CAHALAN / La Crosse Tribune
Employees who have been laid off or whose jobs have been eliminated at Trane in La Crosse since July 6, 2004, have been ruled eligible for a federal retraining and assistance program.
Rick Mickschl, directing business representative for Machinists District Lodge 66 in La Crosse, said he was notified Monday the U.S. Department of Labor has ruled they are eligible for the Trade Adjustment Assistance program. It is for workers who lose their jobs because of increased imports.
The ruling also applies to any additional layoffs or job cuts that occur by July 6, 2006.
"This is good news for our laid-off folks," Mickschl said. "However, it's bittersweet because they'd lost their jobs because of the relocation."
TAA provides up to $12,000 in educational benefits per person for up to 24 months of training. And unemployment benefits can be extended for another 52 weeks with federal funds if the person is receiving approved training and up to 26 weeks if the person is not receiving training. Job search and relocation assistance also is available.
The approximately 90 laid-off hourly production workers at Trane in La Crosse can apply for the program, Mickschl said.
That figure includes 15 hourly workers who were laid off effective Monday, Trane spokesman Art Scheskie said. "It's due to the combination of scroll compressor production transfer (from La Crosse to Mexico) as well as some reduced orders for some La Crosse-made products," Scheskie said of Monday's layoff.
Scheskie did not have an estimate of how many former salaried employees might be eligible for TAA assistance. On June 16, Trane confirmed it was eliminating 275 salaried jobs worldwide, including 22 in La Crosse, in a cost-cutting move.
As of Monday, about 2,325 Trane employees were working in La Crosse, Scheskie said. That includes both hourly and salaried employees.
"Obviously we're pleased that they can get some help with retraining," Scheskie said of TAA assistance.
Machinists Lodge 21, which represents Trane hourly production workers in La Crosse, applied for TAA assistance. Mickschl said the application cited the move of two product lines from La Crosse to China and Mexico. The notice from the Department of Labor cited the move of a product line to Mexico.
The transfer of gear-drive centrifugal water chillers from La Crosse to Trane's plant in Taicang, China, was completed in March. By managing attrition, such as retirements, no layoffs resulted from that move, Trane has said.
The transfer of scroll compressor production to Trane's plant in Monterrey, Mexico, is under way and is expected to be completed by mid-2007. That move has led to some layoffs in La Crosse.
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