Courtney Statement on Confirmation of Trade Adjustment Assistance for Former Employees of Crabtree & Evelyn in Woodstock | Congressman Joe Courtney
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Courtney Statement on Confirmation of Trade Adjustment Assistance for Former Employees of Crabtree & Evelyn in Woodstock

February 15, 2019

VERNON, CT – Today, Congressman Joe Courtney (CT-02) hailed the announcement from the U.S. Department of Labor and the Connecticut Department of Labor that former employees of Crabtree & Evelyn will be eligible for unemployment and job training benefits through federal Trade Adjustment Assistance.

"Today's announcement by the U.S. Department of Labor certifying Trade Adjustment Assistance eligibility for laid-off employees from Crabtree & Evelyn is welcome news," said Congressman Courtney. "This is an example of this federal law working exactly the way it was intended to, and of a company doing all it can to help its employees restore stability to their lives following an economic downturn. Through federal Trade Adjustment Assistance, these folks will receive new opportunities for job training in addition to unemployment benefits, providing a path to workforce reentry with less financial hardship. I'm grateful for the work of the Connecticut Department of Labor and Commissioner Westby, and am particularly impressed by the work of Crabtree & Evelyn to make every effort possible to connect their employees with resources to reenter the workforce as quickly as possible."

Congressman Courtney has been involved in helping the former employees of Crabtree & Evelyn, a producer and seller of health and beauty products, since the organization announced that they would be closing their Woodstock production business in November of 2018. Upon announcement of the closure, Courtney's office immediately worked to connect the more than 130 affected employees at Crabtree & Evelyn with officials at the Connecticut Department of Labor to begin exploring avenues for assistance. Congressman Courtney visited the Woodstock facility in December of 2018 to discuss the closure with employees, as well as the continued efforts of the employer and the Connecticut Department of Labor to identify avenues for relief for impacted employees.