
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: THURSDAY, January 20, 1994                   TAG: 9401200108
SECTION: CURRENT                    PAGE: NRV-8   EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY 
SOURCE: New River Valley bureau
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

RESPONSE TEAM IS REACTIVATED AFTER NEW ROUND OF ARSENAL LAYOFFS

In the wake of the latest job cuts at the Radford Army Ammunition Plant, the New River Valley Response Team has been reactivated to provide workers losing jobs with information on what options they have.

Three meetings will be held Jan. 28 _ at 8:30 a.m., 1:30 p.m. and 5 p.m. - in the Building 216 at the plant.

Each meeting will last about 90 minutes.

The sessions will provide laid-off workers with information about unemployment benefits, job retraining, social services and counseling.

They are directed specifically at arsenal workers, but they are open to anyone who has been laid off in the New River Valley.

Some of the agencies that will give talks include the Virginia Employment Commission, the New River Valley Economic Development Alliance and local colleges and universities.

"Many of [the workers] haven't been out of work for years and years, so it's difficult" for them to know how to go about looking for new jobs, said Jack Beason, job services manager at the VEC.

"We're trying to get the information out to these people."

The team went to work last year when more than 1,000 workers were laid off at the arsenal in January and March. It was in place when 234 lost their jobs when Sara Lee closed its Floyd County Pannill factory in August 1991, and when AT&T shut its Pulaski County plant in 1990 and eliminated 1,000 jobs.

by CNB