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Missouri Worker Grant of $1 Million

September 28th, 2007 Posted by Amelia

Workers in Missouri will get a much-need lift from the U.S. Department of Labor with a $1 million National Emergency Grant. The grant of up to $1,098,450 will assist 310 workers displaced as a result of the closure of the O’Sullivan Industries plant in Lamar, Missouri.

“This nearly $1.1 million grant will help Missouri workers access employment services to help them find new hobs in high growth industries, “said U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao.

O’Sullivan Industries issued a federal WARN notice on April 16, 2007, announcing that it would begin layoffs on July 20, 2007. Workers are also eligible to receive assistance under the Trade Adjustment Assistance or TAA program, a national program for workers displaced by foreign factories.

O’Sullivan Industries was a leading producer of inexpensive furniture products for home and office use, including desks, shelves and similar products. Items, usually requiring assembly, were sold nationwide in Kmart and other stores. O’Sullivan has ceased production and is no longer in business, although some of its product lines have been acquired by other companies.

Lamar, Missouri in Barton County, is best known as the small-town birthplace of U.S. President Harry S. Truman.

Some of the benefits offered under this grant may include preparing resumes, career counseling skills assessment and job placement assistance. The initial release of $499,304 goes directly to the Missouri Department of Labor. None of the funds are paid directly to the displaced workers.

This was just the most recent of a series of National Emergency Grants awarded by Labor Secretary Elaine L. Chao. In September, a $250,000 grant was awarded to a new program, SI WORKS, designed to improve worker opportunities and economic development in 20 southern Illinois counties.

Also in September, a $3 million grant went to provide temporary jobs and benefits to workers in parts of Minnesota ravaged by flash floods.

More than 400 workers laid off by Micron Technology, Inc. in Boise, Idaho received assistance through a grant of more than $2 million. The U.S. Department of Labor immediately released $847,538 of the grant to assist workers dislocated by the layoffs. The total grant is for $2,010,277.

“This $2 million grant will provide these Idaho workers with skills training, career counseling and other employment services to help them find and succeed in new jobs,” said U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao.

Earlier this year, the U.S. Department of Labor recently announced a grant of more than $1.2 million to assist some 246 Rhode Island workers who were displaced by layoffs at the Brooks Eckerd corporate offices in Warwick. The layoffs are due to acquisition of Brooks Eckerd by Rite Aid.

Two grants totaling more than $1.94 million went to benefit workers in Massachusetts and Missouri. The emergency grants helped provide a number of job resources to workers who are unemployed due to plant closings. In addition, the DOL has ruled that these workers are eligible for additional assistance under TAA, the Trade Adjustment Assistance program.

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, National Emergency Grants (NEG) are discretionary awards by the Secretary of Labor. The grants temporarily expand service capacity at the state and local levels through time-limited funding assistance in response to “significant dislocation events.” When a layoff, plant closing or other event creates a need beyond what the state can reasonably be expected to meet, the state may apply for an Emergency Grant. In order for a state to qualify, any discretionary funds available at the state level must be included in the state’s resources.

Grants are given for different purposes. Disaster grants benefit areas afflicted by floods, wildfires, blizzards, hurricanes, earthquakes and other natural disasters. Other grants include Trade-WIA Dual Enrollment grants and Trade-Health Coverage Infrastructure grants.