Whitfield Statement on Johnson Controls Trade Adjustment Assistance | News | Congressman Ed Whitfield

News | Congressman Ed Whitfield | United States Representative

Whitfield Statement on Johnson Controls Trade Adjustment Assistance December 18, 2008 WASHINGTON - U.S. Representative Ed Whitfield (KY-01) released the following statement today after the U.S. Department of Labor certified that employees at Johnson Control, Inc. in Cadiz were eligible for Trade Adjustment Assistance. With this certification, the hundreds of employees at the plant who are scheduled to lose their jobs in the next year will be eligible to apply for up to 104 weeks of income and retraining assistance once their regular unemployment benefits run out.

"Far too many Kentuckians are struggling to make ends meet as our nation continues to reel from the economic recession. When businesses and factories close down, Americans find it increasingly harder to find employment. During this difficult time, I am very pleased that the nearly 600 employees at the Johnson Controls plant in Cadiz will now be eligible to receive additional assistance. I applaud the West Kentucky Workforce Investment Board and city, county and local economic development officials for all their hard work in making this possible. I have been proud to support them and the displaced employees at the plant and will continue to do everything I can to bring new jobs and new opportunities to the First Congressional District."

The Department of Labor offers Trade Adjustment Assistance to workers who lose their jobs or whose hours of work and wages are reduced as a result of increased imports from overseas. Johnson Controls, Inc. announced in September that it will close its Cadiz plant next summer. A phase-out of the 559 employees who work at the plant began in November. The West Kentucky Workforce Investment Board filed an application for the Cadiz employees to receive this assistance as a result of the plant closure.

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