Laid off rail workers eligible for assistance
Workers who lost their jobs at St. Lawrence & Atlantic Railroad in Auburn over the last year and a half are eligible for trade adjustment assistance, according to U.S. Rep. Mike Michaud's office.
The railroad, which is owned by Greenwich, Conn.-based Genesee & Wyoming, currently employees 64 people in Maine, down from 67 at the beginning of the year, Mike Williams, the parent company's director of corporate communications, told Mainebiz. Genesee & Wyoming, which owns 63 railroads, has furloughed 10% of its work force companywide, Williams said.
The document from the Department of Labor certifying the St. Lawrence & Atlantic workers for assistance says the layoffs at the railroad were related to a loss of business at Fraser Papers' mill in Madawaska, which produces specialized coated paper and has been under pressure from increased imports. Williams couldn't confirm Fraser's impact on the St. Lawrence & Atlantic, but said companywide pulp and paper products are down 29% the first half of 2009 compared to the same period in 2008. In addition, forest and lumber products are down 21% companywide, he said.
Trade adjustment assistance helps workers who have lost their jobs as a result of increased imports or a shift of production outside of the United States.
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