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ETA News Release: [10/07/2003]
Contact Name: Lorette Post
Phone Number: (202) 693-3984

U.S. Labor Department Spearheads Nine-Agency Partnership to Serve North Carolina’s Dislocated Pillowtex Workers

Collaboration Will Create One-Stop “Plus” Career Center Model

WASHINGTON—The U.S. Department of Labor today announced the beginning of an unprecedented nine-agency federal partnership it is spearheading in response to the Pillowtex layoffs in North Carolina. The partnership is a blueprint for an expanded One-Stop Plus Career Center that provides access to available services from each of the participating agencies under one roof.

In addition to the Labor Department, the team includes the U.S. Department of Commerce, the U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Department of the Treasury, the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Social Security Administration, and the Small Business Administration.

“This Administration is very concerned about all the workers who lost their jobs when Pillowtex closed. Today we begin a new approach to coordinate aid to these workers so they have easy access to every kind of assistance for which they are eligible. This comes on top of more than $20 million in national emergency grants and a trade-adjustment-assistance certification that brings up to two years of training, up to 104 weeks of weekly income support, job search and relocation benefits, and a health coverage tax credit that covers up to 65 percent of monthly health premiums for workers and their families,” said Labor Secretary Elaine L. Chao.

The host of new services provided for laid-off Pillowtex workers at the Job Link Resource Center, Plant 4 in Kannapolis, will complement existing services, such as job counseling, employment listings, and information on getting unemployment insurance and pension benefits. Added resources include information on health insurance, health care, social security, pensions, home and housing, education, student loans, job training, trade benefits, starting a business, and special assistance for veterans.

For a full month, beginning Oct. 7, representatives from each of the nine partnership agencies will be on-site each Tuesday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the Job Link Resource Center to assist Pillowtex workers. Please contact the Department of Labor for more detailed information or visit www.dol.gov.

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