SPEEA’s petition to seek additional federal support was approved for Boeing laid-off workers in Washington state and Oregon.

SPEEA teamed up with the International Association of Machinists (IAM) 751 in filing for Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA), also known as Trade Act, with the U.S. Department of Labor.

“We are happy to see our petition to support laid off SPEEA members was recently approved by federal administrators,” said Ryan Rule, SPEEA president. “We know SPEEA members continue to be displaced, in part, due to global trade pressures and international economic conditions. TAA is a critical tool to aid in their return to the workforce – and most importantly, provide their families an additional layer of resources to maintain their economic security.”

Under this petition, anyone laid off after May 5, 2019, is eligible to apply for benefits as can anyone laid off through June 23, 2022.

About Trade Act

Trade Act funding is designed to assist eligible laid-off workers impacted by increased imports or companies moving work to other countries. This additional funding is a direct result of the petition filed by SPEEA and the IAM with help from the Washington State Labor Council (WSLC) Workforce Development team. Washington state’s congressional leaders helped expedite the petition’s approval process to provide timely assistance to laid-off workers.

Benefits include:

- Training and tuition support

-  Income support

-  Health care tax credit

-  Out-of-area job search

- Relocation assistance

Layoff resources online

The layoff link on SPEEA’s website features more information about Trade Act benefits and how to apply. The layoff section on the website, under Member Tools, also includes additional resources, benefits and job resources.