PLAN A UNION RESPONSE TO LAYOFFS

Laid-off workers who have unions to represent them are fortunate. Local unions are a valuable advocate and resource to their members by helping them meet the challenges of dislocation. Start with the first steps in our Layoff Survival Kit checklist on pages 3 and 4: Set up a Workforce Adjustment Committee, bargain effects with the employer, and appoint peer advisers. Be vigilant about the union's involvement in every step of the layoff response.

DEVELOP STRATEGIES TO COORDINATE SERVICES

As a union leader, you must be alert to the services available for your members through the state's workforce investment system and its local Rapid Response coordinators. When a Rapid Response coordinator learns of an upcoming layoff, he or she is responsible for contacting the affected employer and union(s) to offer assistance including help in setting up a Workforce Adjustment Committee (also known as a Labor-Management Committee in the Workforce Investment Act). Made up of labor and management representatives, this committee can coordinate services available to workers about to lose their jobs. For more information, contact the California Labor Federation's WED Department at (510) 663-4080.

• FIND A STATE RAPID RESPONSE COODINATOR - click for a list of statewide Rapid Response Coordinators who can help workers access benefits offered by the state

• FIND A UNITED WAY LABOR COMMUNITY SERVICES REP through a local labor council

ENSURE WORKERS RECEIVE APPROPRIATE SERVICES

Displaced workers in California have access to many core services through their local One-Stop Centers, including assistance in applying for unemployment insurance and pension benefits and the option of extending health insurance coverage. Displaced workers also can receive help in searching for new jobs, writing resumes, and seeking job training. If these core services do not produce results, displaced workers may be eligible for one-on-one job counseling, group career workshops, stress and financial workshops and other assistance. The toll-free national number for help in finding the nearest One-Stop Center is (877) 872-5627. The California Labor Federation, AFL-CIO, and its affiliated central labor councils, and many international unions and union locals are providing special assistance to laid-off workers. Often they work in partnership with AFL-CIO Community Services and non-profit organizations, such as the United Way, to assist working families affected by layoffs. National AFL -CIO-affiliated organizations, such as the Union Community Fund, the George Meany Center for Labor Studies, Union Privilege and the Working for America Institute also have launched special programs to assist workers affected by recent layoffs.

CONDUCT INFORMATION MEETINGS AND WORKSHOPS

Often, local unions will sponsor worker information meetings for their laid-off members in coordination with one of California's Rapid Response coordinators. These workshops teach workers how to take advantage of resources that will help them cope with their layoffs and find new jobs. The California Labor Federation's Workforce and Economic Development Department can offer information and advice to unions and Workforce Adjustment Committees on how to plan and organize these meetings.