Maine has been hard hit, with more than 1,500 workers currently receiving what's known as Trade Adjustment Assistance, and hundreds of others hoping to qualify.
Lately, news releases about laid-off workers being eligible to apply for Trade Adjustment Assistance have been flying off Congressman Mike Michaud's desk: workers at NewPage in Rumford, PM Kelly in Ashland, Fulghum Fibres and Domtar in Baileyville and the Maine Woods Company in Portage Lake.
Being certified for Trade Adjustment Assistance means a company has been harmed by increased imports or shifts of production out of the United States. And Maine has been more severely affected than other New England states, says Judy Pelletier, trade and rapid response coordinator for the Maine Department of Labor.
"We currently have about 1,500 employees that have been laid off that have come through and been certified eligible and are enrolled in the trade program," Pelletier says. "Then I'd say there's probably another 1,300 that could be served under this program, if all those certs are approved."
Getting certified for TAA entitles workers to a range of extra benefits: extended unemployment, a wage subsidy for those 50 and older; assistance with health insurance and travel expenses, including the costs of relocating for new work; and two years of job retraining.
Pelletier says most of the time, Maine applications for TAA are approved. Investigators at the U.S. Department of Labor have the final say. "I think we've only had two since May 18th come back that were denied. Most of the time they are approved and we are able to provide services."
Still, Sara Bigney of the Maine Fair Trade Campaign says with so many Maine companies affected by foreign competition, the process is frustrating, and so is the lack of information about who the competitors are.
"We get these petitions back and they say, 'Yes, these layoffs were because of unfair trade or because of imports,' and that's all it says. It doesn't give specific information as to where the imports are coming from and how they're managing to be cheaper than producing it domestically or what's happening," Bigney says. "So, we're seeking to get that information but one way we could do that is by passing the Trade Act."
The Trade Act is a bill sponsored by Maine Congressman Mike Michaud, along with 120 co-sponsors in the U.S. House. Among other things, the bill would establish enforceable labor and environmental standards in future trade agreements and require a review of the effects of the North American Free Trade Agreement and the Central American Free Trade Agreement.
"What's their impact been, both on us here in the United States and the countries we trade with?" Bigney asks. "What's happened to wages? What has happend to jobs? What has happened to staple crop prices? What has happened with the environment? Let's get an analysis of what we have done. Let's stop and take a look before we pass anymore of these."
The U.S. Chamber and Business Alliance views efforts such as this as protectionism -- a threat to prosperity in a new global economy. A spokesman for the Chamber declined to talk on tape for this story, but last week the group released a study that predicts half a million American jobs are at risk if the U.S. fails to move forward on trade.
That includes pending agreements with Columbia, Korea and Panama. This fall the Chamber will roll out a $100 million Campaign for Free Trade.