Guild hosts forum for laid-off TU employees

The Newspaper Guild today held a forum for laid-off workers from the Times Union.

Representatives from the state Labor Department, the state Health Department, the Workforce Development Institute and the AFL-CIO also presented information on unemployment insurance, health insurance options and job training opportunities.

“While we continue to legally challenge the layoffs the Company has made, we know this is going to be a long battle and we wanted to be sure our members were provided with all the information we could get to them,” Guild President Tim O’Brien said. “They learned valuable information about how unemployment works and about the fact that once their health insurance runs out, they can use COBRA for their own care but might be eligible for state assistance to get health care for their children.”

The union invited all members to attend. Those who have been laid off by the Times Union got personal calls reminding them of today’s event. The handful of laid-off workers who were unable to attend will be sent information packets containing copies of all the material distributed at the forum.

Afterward, the workers said they were grateful to the union for providing the forum as well as for its continued fight against the Company’s illegally handled layoffs.