THOMASVILLE, NC – Representative Larry Kissell (NC-08) announced that the Department of Labor has certified a Trade Adjustment Assistance petition for employees of Thomasville Furniture Industries, Inc. The petition will cover all administrative support service workers of Thomasville Furniture Industries who lost their jobs on or after February 13, 2010, through two years from the date of certification.
“The TAA petition certification will help these former employees with education, retraining and assistance in finding new jobs,” Kissell said. “While the TAA petition certification will provide a temporary relief to these folks in a time when they need it most, the loss of jobs and profits for an American company due to an increase in imports of cheaply made products from companies overseas reinforces the dire need for our nation to do absolutely everything we can to support American-made products.”
The TAA Program provides aid to former employees of a company that has laid off workers due to a decrease in sales or production as a result of an increase in imports of foreign goods that directly compete with the company’s product. Workers may be eligible for training, job search and relocation allowances, income support and other reemployment services.
Kissell is also currently working with officials at Thomasville Furniture to fight proposed changes to the State Department’s Packaged Home Program, through which the company is contracted to provide furnishings to American embassies and housing abroad. This contract supports more than 1,000 local jobs.
"We appreciate the opportunity to work with Congressman Kissell to bring resources of the Federal government to bear on the difficulties posed by imports from nations that do not adhere to our high standards," said Ed Teplitz, President of Thomasville/Drexel Heritage. "In particular, we appreciate his efforts to protect the integrity of the Packaged Home Program contract at the US Department of State, which supports more than 1,000 area jobs."
“This is a time for us to show our strong commitment to American manufacturing,” said Kissell. “I am proud to support companies like Thomasville Furniture through programs like the Packaged Home Program. The best goods in the world are made here in America, by hard-working Americans and innovative American companies.”
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