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Archived News Release--Caution:
information may be out of date.
For more information call: (202) 219-6871.
The U.S. Department of Labor is awarding up to $4.8 million
to assist 6,000 workers at GTE Telephone Operations who are being laid off at
110 work sites in 21 states, Secretary of Labor Robert B. Reich announced
today. The request for assistance came from the Common Interest Forum, a joint
effort of GTE, the Communications Workers of America (CWA) and the
International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW).
"Technological change and global competition are having a
profound effect on this country's workers," Reich said. "This Administration is
committed to helping these workers--and workers throughout the country--acquire
new skills and upgrade old ones so they can meet these challenges and
prevail."
The dislocations are the result of GTE's decision to
restructure its workforce to keep pace with technological innovations, changes
in the marketplace and increased competition resulting from deregulation.
Affected workers are from 21 states: Alabama, Arkansas,
California, Florida, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky,
Michigan, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina,
Texas, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin.
An initial sum of $240,254 is being released immediately to
enable GTE to analyze the needs of the affected workers and to develop
site-specific plans.
"Our goal is to help these employees make a quick and
smooth transition to other employment opportunities, "said J. Randall
MacDonald, senior vice president-human resources of GTE Corporation. "These are
employees whose talents and capabilities can be well utilized in the
marketplace--whether with other existing companies or through their own
entrepreneurial efforts."
CWA President Morton Bahr applauded the Labor Department's
action, calling it "recognition by this Administration of the human hardship
caused by corporate downsizing and the need to invest in retraining workers for
the high-skill, high-wage jobs of the future."
"The loss of jobs at GTE Telephone Operations is another
example of the shifting tides that are affecting the global economy," said IBEW
International President John J. Barry. "We believe that the only responsible
course of action is this kind of retraining and placement effort to allow
affected workers to take control of their futures."
The dislocated worker program is a comprehensive approach
to assist workers who have been, or are about to be, laid off for reasons such
as technological change, foreign competition or government actions. In general,
such workers are eligible if they are unlikely to return to their previous
industry or occupation.
Archived News Release--Caution:
information may be out of date.
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