Before the smoke finally cleared from the Farmland plant, local officials were already working to find relief for Farmland workers out of a job due to Sunday’s fire.

Wednesday, July 11, 2001

Before the smoke finally cleared from the Farmland plant, local officials were already working to find relief for Farmland workers out of a job due to Sunday’s fire.

&uot;It’s very important to keep these families in Albert Lea and let them know that help is on the way,&uot; said Albert Lea Mayor Bob Haukoos.

Haukoos is holding out hope that the plant will reopen sometime in the near future. He wants the plant’s workers and their families to remain in Albert Lea to wait for the day they can return to work.

&uot;I don’t think they’ll close – I really don’t. It’s probably the oldest employer in the county. It’s a part of Albert Lea we need,&uot; he said.

Haukoos, along with local legislators Rep. Dan Dorman and Sen. Grace Schwab, is looking forward to a Wednesday morning meeting with relief officials from several state and federal agencies. He said it will be the first step toward recovery from the fire.

&uot;The people at Farmland will spend the next few weeks assessing the damage and deciding what to do. But we need to help take care of the workers while that process is going on,&uot; he said.

Dorman said he’s looking at every possible angle to find assistance for the plant and its employees. In the meantime, he wants everyone from the plant to know about unemployment benefits.

&uot;With so much uncertainty about their jobs, I think it’s helpful to let Farmland workers know that they can file for unemployment benefits immediately on the Internet or by calling the hotline,&uot; Dorman said. &uot;There’s no reason to wait to fill out an application.&uot;

Workers can begin the process at www.mnworkforcecenter.org. The Albert Lea Union Center is also holding unemployment sign-ups, said Derby Olsen of Local 6, United Food and Commercial Workers.

Schwab said she is concentrating on finding some long-term assistance similar to the legislative package passed for Hoyt Lakes, home of the recently closed LTV taconite facility. Schwab is exploring measures such as extensions of unemployment benefits, money for retraining and economic-development funding. Keeping the Farmland workers in Albert Lea is key to the business climate and future of area schools, she said.

&uot;I’m hoping to have some kind of relief package ready right away when the next session starts. It’s a ways off, but we want to be able to act as quickly as possible,&uot; she said. &uot;We need to retain these working families until business and industry can get started.

&uot;Our workforce is a huge part of our economy and our schools, and we need to take care of them.&uot;

U.S. Representative Gil Gutknecht came to Albert Lea to tour the plant and talk with local representatives about coordinating local, state and national relief efforts to help Farmland and its employees. The representatives called the Federal Emergency Management Association, commerce department and Rural Development Administration early Monday morning to discuss relief options.

&uot;Ultimately the goal is to do as much as possible to help see this plant opens up again as soon as possible,&uot; Gutknecht said.

It will take several days to determine what damage was done and assess needs, he said.

&uot;As we explained to (the organizations), 700 jobs in a community this size is a big blow,&uot; he said.