Federal assistance can cover job -training expenses.

WASHINGTON – Workers laid off from their jobs at Thomas Moser Cabinetmakers in Auburn have been certified as eligible for federal retraining assistance under the Trade Adjustment Assistance program.

The announcement was made last week by U.S. Sen. Olympia J. Snowe. “Department of Labor certification of the application by the workers at Thomas Moser ensures that these workers will have access to federal assistance to cover job-training expenses and other costs,” said Snowe, R-Maine.

“It is unfortunate that a company known for its impeccable quality, such as Thomas Moser, would feel the impact of foreign competition leading directly to these layoffs,” said Snowe, who is a member of the Senate Finance Committee, which oversees the Trade Adjustment Assistance program

The TAA certification has been extended to Moser workers laid off since Sept. 23, 2002, after a Department of Labor survey found the company lost a contract for library tables, chairs and carrels to a foreign firm, and that the contract contributed directly to the layoffs.

Federal assistance is provided under the Trade Adjustment Assistance program, and covers job-training and related expenses, such as transportation.

for laid-off workers.