ROANOKE TIMES Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times DATE: Friday, February 28, 1997 TAG: 9702280060 SECTION: BUSINESS PAGE: B-6 EDITION: METRO SOURCE: JEFF STURGEON STAFF WRITER
WORKERS AT THE AMP plant in Roanoke may get special federal benefits because of a finding that foreign competition is costing them their jobs.
There's a bit of good news for the 450 employees of AMP Inc. of Roanoke who are losing their jobs.
The government has determined their jobs were eliminated as a result of foreign trade pressures, meaning they can apply for free training and money for living expenses.
"This may cushion the closing a little bit, in that these folks may be eligible for additional benefits and training," said Marjorie Skidmore, who manages the Roanoke office of the Virginia Employment Commission.
Skidmore stressed Thursday that federal officials only have ruled that the former workers can apply for the special benefits, which will be in addition to severance pay from the company. Analysts must look at each case individually to determine who will receive benefits. VEC will handle those determinations.
AMP has declined to reveal wages at its Roanoke plant, but VEC said the average pay for area manufacturers is $545 a week. That includes both management and production personnel.
As a result of layoffs announced by AMP Jan. 8, a portion of the production work force at the company's Hollins Road plant already has left, and others must leave their jobs by the end of next week. Remaining workers, including maintenance personnel, engineers and some warehouse workers, are expected to work no later than March 14, the planned shutdown date.
AMP, based in Harrisburg, Pa., is a major supplier of electrical and electronic connectors and related systems. It employs nearly 45,000 workers at more than 90 plants in Asia, Europe and the Americas, and announced the job cuts and several other plant closings in connection with a major restructuring.
The company attributed the closing to a downturn in demand for amplimite, a connection device used by personal computer manufacturers, which was made in Roanoke.
But the U.S. Department of Labor found Roanoke workers are losing their jobs at least in part because the company shifted its production of these or similar devices to Mexico in 1996 and increased imports of such items. Petitions from Roanoke AMP workers led to the investigation.
The finding puts qualified former AMP workers in line to receive federally funded training to learn a new skill, extended unemployment pay, money for moving to a job in another city and job hunting assistance.
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