ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Wednesday, October 2, 1996 TAG: 9610020017
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-1 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: COLLINSVILLE
SOURCE: TODD JACKSON STAFF WRITER
WHILE VOTERS SUCH AS SUE HORSLEY try to cope with the threat of unemployment and finding another job after layoffs, candidates talk about job retraining.
Sue Horsley, an over-40 mother of two grown children, is trying to better herself.
She was laid off from her job as a garment inspector at Martinsville's Sara Lee plant in March. She had worked there for 10 years and earned a good wage.
Horsley didn't have her head in the sand. She saw the layoff coming long before the company made it official, because several thousand hourly workers have lost their jobs in Southside Virginia over the past few years.
She also realized that without a college degree her prospects were limited.
So, when she found out that she could qualify for college tuition through a local community service organization, she jumped at the chance.
She's now a successful student at Patrick Henry Community College, studying to be a graphic artist.
But the happy ending to Horsley's story is yet to be written.
She faces a dilemma: Her last unemployment check will be mailed to her in December. She says she probably will have to quit school in order to find a low-paying job so she and her husband can make ends meet.
Even with her unemployment payments, her husband has taken a second job, she said.
Horsley wants to continue with her schooling and earn a degree.
"I think workers should have a right to come to school since we lost our jobs," she said. "I really want to get a better job."
She said a program that would extend unemployment benefits based on good grades in the classroom could be an answer.
As part of its 1996 election coverage, The Roanoke Times asked the congressional candidates in the 5th District - the district where Horsley lives - their thoughts on her situation:
*Democrat Virgil Goode said an amendment to the U.S. Trade Act could help people like Horsley. But, because of a stipulation in the amendment, Horsley and others laid off from Sara Lee did not receive the help.
The amendment allows for extensions of unemployment benefits when a company moves its operations out of the country. Horsley was told that she would qualify for the program after she lost her job. But, because the Virginia Employment Commission had a list of available jobs in the Henry County area that were identical to the ones cut at Sara Lee, workers such as Horsley later found out that they would not receive extensions.
Goode, who contacted the employment commission to discuss Horsley's situation, said: "I think the persons in the position of Ms. Horsley should have been made aware that these jobs were available and they should not count on their benefits being extended."
Goode said it's important for every member of Congress to evaluate trade agreements and proposals to see whether they "really benefit our region of Virginia."
*Republican George Landrith agreed that benefits based on successful completion of college courses is a good idea. But, he said, college shouldn't be the only option for retraining. He said trade school and apprenticeships are important, too.
"I don't want to limit options," he said. "I just want to make sure that whatever job they obtain is one that is marketable and that will lead to a good-paying job."
Landrith also said it's probably impossible for the government to pay for the education of everyone who is laid off. He says a mix of things is needed, including grant funds and untaxed personal saving accounts that would come in handy in a time of need.
*Virginia Independent Party candidate George "Tex" Wood said Horsley shouldn't be facing the dilemma in the first place.
"We need to fix the cause of her being out of work," he said.
The NAFTA and GATT trade agreements passed by Congress - which Wood says sent more U.S. jobs to foreign countries - and the United States' trade deficit have shoved workers such as Horsley "into an abyss."
"Unless we get some form of fair trade relief, I'd suggest Sue change her major to Spanish or Chinese, where there may be some demand for her graphic artist skills," Wood said.
What did Horsley think of the candidates' answers?
Horsley took Goode's response a step further. She said she doesn't think workers should lose the extension of unemployment benefits just because jobs similar to the ones they lost are open at another company.
Horsley said the opportunity to go back to school will allow her to become more marketable. If she is forced to take another hourly job, the chances are she'd be laid off again, she said.
She was disappointed that the candidates didn't take a stronger stand for extending unemployment benefits for laid-off workers who are successfully completing college courses.
But she said their answers weren't ambiguous.
"I expected worse," Horsley said.
Got a question for the candidates? Let us know so we can follow up. In Roanoke, call 981-0100. In New River, 382-0200. Press category 7821.
LENGTH: Medium: 99 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: ROGER HART/Staff. Sue Horsley is a student in graphicby CNBart at Patrick Henry Community College in Martinsville. But she may
have to give up her education to take a job when her unemployment
benefits run out. color.