Mike (fired) Elk: Oops: Drafting Error Imperils Trade Adjustment Program for Laid-Off Workers

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.inthesetimes.com/working/entry/6888/programs_to_help_workers_affected_by_outsourcing_held_hostage_to_outso/

Tuesday Jan 25, 2011 3:47 pm

By Mike Elk

Ironically, extension of prominent federal worker retraining program could become contingent on free trade deal passage

Since 1974, the Trade Adjustment Assistance Program (TAA) has provided workers with assistance for trade-related job losses. Now Republicans are holding the program hostage as they demand Congress pass more trade deals like the Columbia and Panama Free Trade Agreement.

The TAA program was established to help workers who lost their jobs due to outsourcing or foreign completion retrain for new jobs. The program provides funding for education programs to retrain the workers and provides enhanced unemployment benefits of up to 156 weeks—longer than the regular unemployment benefits maximum of 99 weeks. During fiscal year 2010, 280,873 workers received assistance from the program for job retraining and education, according to the program's 2010 report (PDF link).

However, due to a drafting error in the extension of the program, TAA might be eliminated as a program altogether, according to a recent report (subscription required) in Inside U.S. Trade. At the end of 2010 there was a last-minute, frantic rush to extend TAA for workers as part of HR 6517. The language was supposed to say that TAA would be extended for six weeks and if Congress did not act by February 13, TAA would be cut back to its pre-stimulus level of funding and eligibility. (The stimulus bill had increased funding for the program and expanded eligibility to include service workers, not just manufacturing workers affected by job loss.)

FULL story at link.