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Kodiak True World Foods' Workers Eligible For Trade Adjustment Assistance

Jul. 16, 2003
No. 04-01

Commissioner Greg O'Claray of the Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development announced today that laid off workers from True World Foods - Alaska, a subsidiary of International Seafoods of Alaska, Inc. (ISA), located in Kodiak are eligible to apply for Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) benefits. "This is hopeful news for the approximately 345 workers let go from the True World Foods processing plant in Kodiak, because they can now apply for TAA retraining, job search and relocation assistance," O'Claray said.

On June 30, 2003, the U.S. Department of Labor certified that the company was eligible for TAA benefits due to the increase of customer imports, which had a direct negative impact on the company's Kodiak operations. The certification will expire on June 30, 2005. True World Foods reports they officially closed their doors in Kodiak on July 2, 2003.

All workers who have been, or will be, laid off from True World Foods from May 2, 2002 through June 30, 2005 are eligible to apply for TAA benefits. Trade benefits include reemployment and retraining opportunities, job search and career counseling, and job placement and relocation allowances.

Workers who were employed by True World Foods for at least 26 weeks in the past year AND who are eligible for unemployment insurance will also be entitled to weekly Trade Readjustment Allowances, which are income supports, and a health insurance tax credit.

The Department of Labor TAA Office mailed notices to impacted workers on July 16, 2003 notifying them of their eligibility to apply for benefits.

Self-employed fishermen who sold their products to True World Foods, or ISA, in 2002 may also be eligible, but will need to file a petition in order to seek certification. The department's TAA office is available to help any fishermen with tips and short-form instructions for petition filing. Petitions can be printed from the TAA website at jobs.alaska.gov/taa.

"We've been waiting for the US Department of Labor to fulfill their commitment to help our displaced fishermen and our fisheries-dependent coastal communities with Trade Assistance," O'Claray said. "This company was easily able to show the negative impacts from the rise of imported and farmed seafood products."

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