Emergency Grant to Help Iowans

When a company lays off massive numbers of employees, what is the most effective help for these newly unemployed people?  Although some conciliatory money is helpful, in the long-term, it only goes so far.  In the words of Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis, “Only another job can replace a job lost.”

The U.S. Department of Labor announced a $775,351 National Emergency Grant to assist about 115 manufacturing workers affected by layoffs at five companies in northeast Iowa.  The grant will be used for re-employment plans, transportation, and child care.

Layoffs at the five companies covered under this grant — Deco Products Co. LLLP, Decorah, Iowa; Gencor Industries Inc., Marquette, Iowa; Rockwell Automation Inc., Sumner, Iowa; TriMark Corp., New Hampton, Iowa; and Wilbert Inc., Winthrop, Iowa — began in January 2009 and continued through December 2010.

Hopefully, the grant will go a long way to help these workers redetermine the direction of their working lives.