Sherrod Brown Fighting to Help Ohioans Get Back on Their Feet

(Ohio Democratic Party)

Sherrod Brown Fighting to Help Ohioans Get Back on Their Feet

By Seth Bringman on 02/09/2011 @ 12:04 PM

Sen. Sherrod Brown is and always has been a champion for Ohio’s middle class. He has spent his career in public service fighting to create jobs and fight bad trade deals that send Ohio jobs overseas. He knows that Ohio’s working families have been adversely impacted by these trade deals, and he’s worked to make sure that these workers have the assistance they need to get back on their feet. Take a moment to read the Dayton Daily News story below.

Unless Congress acts by Saturday, the federal government’s Trade Adjustment Assistance Program will expire. In the Dayton area and across Ohio, the program has helped thousands of workers in businesses ranging from making automobiles to public relations get back on their feet after losing their jobs due to trade.

U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, on Tuesday renewed his call for a long-term extension of the program that has provided help to 32,389 Ohioans from May 2009 to Jan. 31, second nationally only to Michigan where 46,800 workers were covered.

“I’ve seen firsthand how TAA can help Ohioans get back on their feet, which is why I am urging Congress to pass a long-term extension of this vital program this week,” Brown said in a release.

James Winship, president of Dayton-based IUE-CWA Local 755, which includes members who have benefited from TAA, backed up Brown.

“There’s no doubt we need to get people ready for the next phase of the economy ... green technology, wind energy, solar energy, whatever is coming down the road,” Winship said.

The program provides retraining, unemployment benefits and other assistance.