$134,959 grant to help former Saucony workers

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor will provide $134,959 in funding to assist workers laid off by the closure of Saucony Inc. in Bangor, according to U.S. Sens. Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins. Funding, which the senators requested in a letter to Labor Secretary Elaine Chao, is provided under a National Emergency Grant.

“This grant will provide crucial funding to help these Saucony workers find new jobs, identify new skills, and train for new employment. Moreover, it offers these workers and their families help with other related costs, from child care to transportation, that are crucial components of the search for new work,” said Snowe and Collins in a joint statement.

The $134,959 grant will be administered by Tri-County Workforce Investment Board and Eastern Maine Development Corp. in Bangor. The grant will assist with job search and placement, counseling, training and job development, and may also provide additional help with child care, transportation, job-related clothing, health care and other emergency coverage payments. About 77 of the 110 workers laid off by Saucony are expected to be helped with this grant funding.