Thursday, October 2, 2008 

David Mathis
(315)  798-5908

Picente, State Legislators Announce Oct. 10^th Session
To Assist Canterbury Press Employees
 

An outreach session to help all employees and families affected by the closure of Canterbury Press will be held on Friday, October 10^th, from 10 a.m. to noon at Mohawk Valley Community College ’s Plumley Building on the Rome campus, Oneida County Executive Anthony J. Picente, Jr., Senator Joseph A. Griffo and Assemblywoman RoAnn Destito announced today.

“We are very aware that the closing of Canterbury Press has had a drastic impact on the lives of the company’s workers and their families as they try to sort through their options, cope with very difficult times and make plans for the future,” Picente said. “The closing of Canterbury Press has been a blow to us all. I am committed to offering all of the families affected every possible assistance in this very difficult transition, and we will continue to work with ex-employees in any way we can. The message I want to send to employees and families is this: ‘You and your families are not alone. Through Working Solutions, there is a trained, compassionate team ready to help you.’

The purpose of this session is to bring together some of the local agencies that can offer advice, referrals, counseling and other assistance at one time and place so that Canterbury’s former workers and their families can get answers. Picente said that the session will include representatives of the New York State Department of Labor, including Rapid Response Specialist Mike Clark, Oneida County Workforce Development, the Workforce Investment Board, Oneida County Department of Social Services, Oneida County Department of Mental Health and the Oneida County Office of the Aging.

“This outreach session is part of our ongoing commitment to the workers of Canterbury Press to stand by them and provide every possible bit of assistance,” said Senator Joseph A. Griffo. “This is a very caring community, and it is also a community that has resources available. This session will help workers understand what kinds of help exist, and how they can tap into programs than can help them or their families.”

"Canterbury Press employees have worked hard and now found themselves in need of help from a calamity that was not their doing," said Assemblywoman RoAnn M. Destito, D-Rome.  “We’re not going to forget our on-going obligation to these workers. This outreach session provides employees the chance to have their questions answered in a timely manner, and to get the information they need on benefits and services that are available to them.  I would encourage anyone affected by Canterbury Press’s closing to attend this session so that we can provide the help employees and their families deserve.

The Rapid Response program established under the Workforce Investment Act designates the New York State Department of Labor as the lead agency. At the informational sessions, state officials will give employees an overview of the region’s labor market, offer information about Unemployment Insurance regulations and inform employees about employment services for which they are eligible. Officials will explain to the laid-off workers how the region’s system of Working Solutions One-Stops can help them connect with services and information they need.

“We are bringing together the resources of our Working Solutions partnership to help these neighbors cope with their layoffs. We want to make sure that Canterbury Press workers understand all the services and options available to them in the weeks and months to come,” Picente said.