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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information may be out of date.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 providing up to $7,036,877 to assist
1,200 workers who have lost their jobs at more than 65 coal mines in Ohio,
Pennsylvania and West Virginia, Vice President Al Gore and Secretary of Labor
Alexis M. Herman announced today. An initial amount of $2.3 million is being
awarded for immediate use.
"America's coal miners have always played a vital role in providing our
country with the energy that underpins our economy," said Vice President Gore.
"As technology has radically changed the mining industry, it is our
responsibility to help these courageous and crucial workers retool themselves
with skills for the 21st century."
"Our country needs the talents and skills of all of its workers," Herman
added. "We must provide the necessary training, retraining and support services
so that our workforce can prosper and remain competitive in the global
economy."
The funding will be used to assist some of the more than 18,000 coal
miners laid off since 1992 in the three states. The project will be operated by
the United Mine Workers of America (UMWA) in coordination with local job
training programs.
The grant, which is authorized under Title III of the Job Training
Partnership Act, will provide participants with job training and job placement
assistance and support services such as child care, transportation and family
counseling. The project will be headquartered in Washington, Pa., with
satellite sites in the three states.
This is the second JTPA grant for the UMWA. The Labor Department
provided a $2 million grant to the union in April 1996 to serve 625 long-term
dislocated coal miners in the same region. The project, which continues through
June, has achieved a 74 percent placement rate with an average initial wage of
$12.64 per hour.
The dislocated worker program is a comprehensive retraining 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. Generally,
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information may be out of date.
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