More than 4,500 soon-to-be unemployed auto workers in the Bay Area will be able to get help from the government when their jobs officially come to an end in a few months.
The workers at Fremont's New United Motor Manufacturing found out over the summer that their factory, which was co-owned by General Motors and Toyota, was one of the casualties of the auto collapse.
It was declared a victim of foreign competition, the Chronicle reported, which makes the workers eligible for help from the fed for Trade Adjustment Assistance, a program that recently went into effect.
The rules of the say Nummi workers are eligible for up to 130 weeks of unemployment compensation as long as they are enrolled in a state-approved job-retraining program. They can also get tax credit for health insurance.
While it's good news for those who work at the Nummi facility, it's bitter for the other 20,000 or so Californians who work for companies that supply parts to factory. They are not eligible for the assistance.
