G.E. employees may receive trade adjustment assistance.

The U.S. Labor Department. has started an investigation to determine whether workers making wood cabinets for television sets at General Electric Co.'s Rockford Cabinet Plant, Rockford, IL, are eligible to apply for trade adjustment assistance.

Under the 1974 Trade Act, workers who

believe they have been or will become unemployed because of increased imports may petition the Secretary of Labor for certification of eligibility to apply for adjustment aid. Assistance under this law may include trade readjustment allowances in cash, training, testing, counseling, job placement, job search grants and relocation allowances.

Fast Forward; In October 2003, 88 employees of Sligh Furniture who either lost their jobs or had their hours reduced, were certified to qualify for aid under the U.S. Department of Labor's Transitional Adjustment Assistance program.

According to the Holland Sentinel, the local workforce of the Holland-based manufacturer of wood furniture and clocks has dropped from a high of nearly 290 employees in 2001 to 150 today because of the double whammy of the recession and rising imports.

Under the TAA program, workers displaced by foreign competition can apply for funds to cover job training, placement and, if necessary, funds for relocation. All employees of Sligh Furniture who became totally or partially separated front employment on or after Aug 26, 2002 can apply for benefits through Oct. 7, 2005.