"In this challenging economy, the displaced workers of Louisiana Pacific Mill will face particular hardships as they try to rejoin the workforce," Senators Snowe and Collins and Representative Michaud said in a statement.  "These TAA benefits will certainly help the employees attain the necessary skills and benefits to navigate the job market and regain their livelihoods."

Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) is a Department of Labor program 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 trade-affected workers with a variety of reemployment services and benefits to help them find new jobs and get back to work. 

The full text of the letter follows:

January 14, 2009                                                                                  

The Honorable Elaine L. Chao, Secretary

U.S. Department of Labor                   

200 Constitution Avenue, NW

Washington, D.C.  20210

Dear Secretary Chao:

            We are writing on behalf of the 39 workers of the Louisiana Pacific Mill in New Limerick, Maine, who were recently displaced due to increased imports and foreign competition. 

            Louisiana Pacific, headquartered in Nashville, Tenn., is a premier supplier of building products, manufacturing innovative, high-quality commodity and specialty products for its retail, wholesale, homebuilding and industrial customers. It operates 29 mills across the United States, Canada and Chile, and employs more than 5,500. Louisiana Pacific's New Limerick Mill manufactures oriented strand lumber (OSL) and oriented strand board (OSB) - - engineered wood products used in various home construction applications.

            The mill's displaced workers contend that foreign imports and production shifts to foreign countries have adversely impacted the company's marketing, sales and production of its oriented strand lumber and oriented strand board products.  They assert that Louisiana Pacific's New Limerick Mill has suffered from the overall competitive trade imbalance and its workers have been correspondingly impacted through no fault of their own.   

            Louisiana Pacific's New Limerick Mill operates in the rural northern region of Maine.  Due to the limited employment offerings in the area, these workers face a daunting task in finding alternative employment.  Most will face agonizingly difficult choices relating to employment retraining and job relocation, which will be further exacerbated by the harsh economic realities currently facing Maine and the nation.  Thus, it is absolutely crucial that these workers receive certification under the TAA program.    

            We request that you review this Trade Adjustment Assistance petition in a timely manner to ensure that the workers receive the assistance they need to mitigate the employment loss and to help reduce the negative effects that foreign trade has had on their financial security.  This assistance is of paramount importance to us, the displaced workers, and to the families they support.

            Thank you for your time and consideration on behalf of the workers at Louisiana Pacific in New Limerick, Maine

                                                            Sincerely,

OLYMPIA J. SNOWE       SUSAN M. COLLINS     MICHAEL H. MICHAUD

United States Senator         United States Senator       United States Congressman     

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For more information, contact:

Julia Wanzco (Snowe)                         (202) 224-1304 

Kevin Kelley (Collins)                         (202) 224-2523 

Ed Gilman (Michaud)                          (202) 225-6306