Ashland mill workers receive aid
By Kathy McCarty
ASHLAND — Workers at P.M. Kelly, Inc., in Ashland, who were affected by the economic slump that began in 2008 are now eligible for assistance.
Sens. Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins have announced the U.S. Department of Labor has certified Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) for workers of P.M. Kelly, Inc. Workers at the Ashland-based facility who became totally and partially separated from employment on or after September 2008 are eligible for the TAA benefits which include reemployment services and training, as well as job search allowances.
“Trade Adjustment Assistance is critical to helping ensure that these workers, who lost their jobs through no fault of their own, will have access to the resources they need to get through this difficult time,” said Sens. Snowe and Collins in a joint statement.
TAA is a program of the Department of Labor that helps workers who have lost their jobs as a result of increased imports or a shift of production outside of the United States. TAA provides these trade-affected workers with a variety of re-employment services and benefits to help them find new jobs and get back to work.
P.M. Kelly, Inc. employed about 18 individuals who were involved in the manufacture of interior wood products. The drop in housing starts and the subsequent economic slump resulted in a drop in production at the Ashland mill and employee layoffs.
